


Daddy Issues

by My_Dixon_Narratives



Category: The Walking Dead & Related Fandoms
Genre: Adult Content, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-31
Updated: 2018-02-09
Packaged: 2019-03-12 00:16:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 23,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13535601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/My_Dixon_Narratives/pseuds/My_Dixon_Narratives
Summary: Does age matter in relationships? Merle will find out...





	1. Chapter 1

_ **Daddy Issues** _

_ **~ Chapter One** _

  
The new girl living in the building had his full attention. He knew that the age difference made his desire inappropriate by anyone else's standards, but Merle Dixon couldn't care less; he wasn't even a little sorry.

Merle didn't sleep with teenagers or anything like that, but younger women were his cup of tea, and he wasn't about to apologize for it. It wasn't even that they were better looking than women his own age, it was more the energy of them that he preferred. There were plenty of women his own age and older that were hot as hell, but they all wanted someone much more serious than he was, Merle was only looking for fun and sex.

The girl he had his eye on looked like she was in the neighborhood of 25 or maybe younger and he was open to it even if he was 46. Sure, he was probably old enough to be her daddy, but he could also be her lover if she was up for it.

The girl upstairs was a little spark of different in a landscape of same old same old, and he wanted to get closer to her if he could. He had never seen a girl that looked quite like her, and he couldn't take his eyes off of her in the hallways of their building. Her hair was up in messy blue and violet dreads, and she had those spacers in her ears that he didn't quite understand. Still, she was delicate and fascinating, and she made him hard like stone when he thought about her in the shower after work lately

He had helped her move some boxes when she moved in, and she thanked him with some friendly chit-chat and a cold glass of lemonade. He was good at getting the young ones in bed, and he didn't beat himself up over it because he never played games or lied to them. Merle didn't string women along or get into their panties dishonestly. Most of them woke up the next day and realized that although it had been fun, they didn't want to be in a relationship with a man twice their age. Merle understood where they were coming from, thanked them for a lovely night, and drove them home; his fun and games were normally seamless. There was never any bad blood between him and any girl he slept with; when he saw any of them in public, he'd have a quick chat with them like old friends and go about his day.

Her name was Mae, and she said she had just moved away from her small town, and he could tell that she was suffering from a bad case of daddy issues by the way she discussed her family. Her mother didn't approve of her moving to the big city, and her dad was mostly absentee with a hint of controlling behavior which was a shitty combination. She craved her father's affection because he'd been out of the picture for most of her childhood, but then all of his attention was manipulative and domineering. Merle felt sorry for her; she seemed sweet and very eager to please others.

/

Merle got his chance to make a move the night of a big storm. All the power in the building went out, and he found her wandering the hallways looking for the superintendent as he was bringing in some groceries. She had a brightly patterned sarong tied around her waist and a red tank top with no bra. That was the other thing about her that made his dick throb; she never wore a bra.

"Have you seen Shawn?" she asked, her blue eyes looking for answers.

"Nope."

She was using the light on her cell phone to get around in the blackened hallway, and he was holding an LED flashlight he kept on his key chain.

"You got a flashlight or some candles? The power will probably be out all night; the storms are no joke around here, and it's an older building," he informed her.

"I don't have anything like that...I guess I'll just go to bed early."

"Come on," he said, gesturing for her to follow him.

"Where?"

"Come back to my place for a minute; I got a flashlight and some candles for you."

"Really?"

"Come on," he smiled.

Mae followed him, and he could see she was a little apprehensive, they all were at first. He unlocked the door to his suite and invited her inside as he set down his groceries and walked down the hall to find her a flashlight.

"Thank you very much," she called down the hallway to him.

Merle liked her sweetness; she was drawing him in with all that honey. She was big with the please and thank yous, and just the tone of her voice said she wouldn't hurt a fly. It was impossible not to be attracted to her on some level; she was so young and so sweet. Merle knew he was a dirty old man, but there was no fighting it.

"It's nothin', honey. Can't have you wandering around in the dark."

"I don't like the dark," she confessed.

"Ain't that cute," he chuckled. "You scared of ghosts?"

"Hey!" she protested with a little whininess in her voice.

Most younger women would tell him to shut up or come back with some snippy comment as retaliation but not her; she really was a sweet one.

"Just teasin' ya."

She took the flashlight that he handed her and smiled up at him.

"Well...I'll bring it back as soon as the power is back on. Thank you, Mr. Dixon."

"You keep it, honey."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, and call me Merle," he insisted.

"OK," she nodded.

“If you need anything else I want you to come right down here and ask me, OK? I'm pretty handy, so if anything breaks I'm right here."

"Could you...Never mind."

"Come on, what is it?"

"Do you know how to fix a ceiling fan? It's been so hot, and mine stopped working. Shawn keeps saying he'll come by but he never does."

"I could take a quick peek if you like."

"In the dark?"

"Can you hold the flashlight for me? I bet we could work as a team," he teased.

"Ha ha," she smiled and rolled her pretty blue eyes at him.

/

Up at her place, he pulled over a chair, and she stood below holding the flashlight so he could see. He lit a few candles around the room but it was still mostly dark, romantic even. He had brought along a multitool and removed the base plate to reconnect some wires that had come apart. The maintenance man who installed the ceiling fans a year back was inept at wiring and Merle had to reconnect some wires in his own suite too.

"It was just a disconnected wire; it should work when the power comes back on. Lemme know if it doesn't."

"Thank you so much!" she gushed. "It's been so hot up here."

"It's my pleasure, honey. You go ahead and tell me whenever you need something, OK? I know you're all alone in the city."

"I am alone...it's kinda scary."

"You're gonna be fine. Atlanta ain't so big once you get to know some people."

"I only know some people from work and you."

"No boyfriend?"

"No. It's been ages since I had a boyfriend."

"Pretty thing like you being single ain't right. I'm sure you'll find someone soon."

"I hope you're right...it gets hard sometimes."

Her voice sounded different then. Merle was finely tuned to the way a young woman vocalized, and he could sense a change in the wind.

"You gettin' lonely up here, honey?"

"Lonely and other things..."

"Care to spell that out for me a little?" he teased.

_**Just let her say it...let her ask...** _

"I just miss being touched I suppose. Even someone to hold would be nice," she sighed.

"I have a tough time believing you can't find a man to hold you."

"It's hard to find someone. I don't want to sleep with a man I work with, and I don't go out to clubs...I'm not into that crowd."

"Introverted?" he asked.

"Definitely."

Merle was familiar with this game, but he had to play it careful with a girl like Mae, the last thing he wanted was to coerce her. Most of the younger women he fucked were very self-assured and made it very clear what they wanted; many of them were using him in a way and not the other way around. He didn't want to mess with a sweet girl like Mae though; she could be hurt so easily.

"Sounds like you could use some company, I really hope you find it, honey."

_**Just keep it casual, don't corner her.** _

"That would be nice...it's pretty weird that I'm discussing this with you, I'm sorry."

"It's OK. Everyone needs someone to talk to."

"You're a good listener."

"Thanks, I try. I guess I can let you get back to your evening now since you got a flashlight, and remember I'm right downstairs if you need anything else," he smiled and immediately turned to leave.

_**1...2...3...4...** _

"Merle, wait-"

"Yeah?"

"Uh...did you want to stay for a drink? I mean...to say thank you."

_**Checkmate.** _

"Sure. Why not?" he grinned.

Mae went into the kitchen, and he had a seat on her couch. She was predictable, but he was excited all the same. Merle had never encountered a girl quite this innocent, and it turned him on, she was almost too sweet to be real. She walked back in with a bottle of cheap domestic beer, and he said thanks as he twisted off the cap and she did the same.

"May as well drink the beer before it goes warm...the fridge is off," she said as she sat down next to him.

They sat together with only the streetlights coming in through the window and a few candles; it was the perfect setting for an unexpected and naughty incident. Her hands shook a little as she brought the bottle to her lips and he grinned, she was unreal.

"Mae?"

"Yes?"

"Am I making you nervous? You don't have to feel weird around me; it's just a drink."

Merle was open to more if she was, but he sure as hell wasn't there to push for anything she didn't want.

"I am a little nervous," she said, not looking at him but staring at the carpet. "I tried to talk to you a few times already, but there's something about you that makes me feel...shy."

"Why were you trying to talk to me? Was I making a racket downstairs or something?" he chuckled. "I do get carried away with my records sometimes."

"No, it's nothing like that. I just wanted to say hi because...I think you're handsome."

"Awww, honey. That's real sweet of you to say."

"Do you think I'm an idiot?"

"Of course not, I'm flattered that a beautiful young woman like you would even look twice at me."

"I never liked an older man before."

"Well, I'm glad you told me."

"You are?"

"Now I can tell you that there ain't no reason to feel awkward with me."

"Thanks. You're being really cool about this."

"Well, since we're confessing things I got a little secret of my own."

"Really?" she smiled.

_**God damn it! This girl is all sugar and not a drop of spice.** _

"I noticed you as soon as you moved in and I like the look of you too."

"Are you usually into girls that look like me?" she asked skeptically.

"I'm into all kinds of women. I like the way you look; it's fascinating and beautiful; it suits you to look different."

"Thank you...not everyone understands it."

"Fuck them, right?" he winked. "The world needs people who aren't afraid to be different."

Mae took a long sip of her beer and then lay it on the table, this was it.

"So what do we do now?" she asked.

There was a pregnant pause that he let hang for a moment cause he was trying to read her body language. She was facing him now, almost leaning toward him and her eyes were seeking answers.

"Nothing has to happen if you don't want it to, honey."

He was almost rethinking the whole thing; maybe she was too sweet, too good for him to mess with.

"I dreamed about you once...is that silly?"

She was pure candy, and he wanted to taste every inch of her.

"It's not silly, Mae. Should I ask what happened in the dream?"

She blushed then and looked down at her hands before looking back up at his eyes again.

"We were at the movies together, and you kissed me," she confessed as if it were a deep dark secret.

"That's sweet."

"I don't know what to say around you...I don't even know what I expected when I asked you to stay."

"You could always just tell me what you want, and I'll give it to you," he stated plainly. "You don't need to be shy with me."

"That's all there is to it?"

"Can I be really blunt with you?"

"Yes."

"I'm right here, and I can take care of whatever needs you got. You'll owe me nothin', and I won't pester you at all tomorrow. You can come callin' on me anytime you like if you enjoy what we do or never talk to me again if you prefer. That work for you?"

"So just a casual thing?" she asked.

"If that's OK with you, there is an age gap, so that's probably best."

"I've never done this before," she grinned, "but it sounds fun to me."

"Alright then, honey. Lay it on me now. What can old Merle do for ya?"

"I just want to be touched...I want to feel good," she almost whimpered. "Can you make me feel better? I've been so lonely."

Merle moved next to her then, right up close, and moved the hair from her shoulder to expose her neck. He could see her pulse beating on her skin where a tattoo covered the back and the side of her neck. She had various tattoos all over her body and he wanted to get a much closer look at each one. The design on her neck was a compass rose, and he moved in close enough to kiss the image of it on her pale skin. Her body was tense, and her eyes were closed, he loved it.

"Relax, honey...remember to breathe."

He kissed her right below her ear softly and then let his hot breath take over her senses. He touched the opposite side of her face then, pulling her into his kiss and then licked her throat like a soft breeze. Mae made a delicate little sound and the moment was action packed with sweet intensity.

"Like that?" he growled.

"Oh yeah...it's so good."

"Come on over here," he said, motioning for her to come and sit between his legs. "You don't have to be lonely, honey."

Mae moved over slowly and slid back on the couch between his thighs. He touched her shoulders softly and brought his mouth in close to her ear again as her back came to rest against his chest.

"Do you mind if I guess what you need?"

"Can you tell?" she asked.

"I think so...you don't want sex right now, that's much too far. You just need a release. You want to feel good, right?"

"Right. How did you know that?"

"I'm pretty good at reading people."

The goosebumps on her skin made him giddy; he loved getting to women this way. His mouth made contact with her skin just below her ear, and she moaned out loud; this girl was halfway there already.

"Want more?"

"....yes."

"Then just lean all your weight on me, and I'm gonna get you off."

"You sound so sure," she uttered.

"I'm positive, honey. You can take that right to the bank."

Merle grinned and ran his hands down the sides of her waist to her hips and kissed her cheek. Mae made another soft sound that made his dick ache. Merle Dixon lived for young flesh, and he refused to be ashamed of it. As long as he could pull pretty young things, he'd do it. He wasn't hurting anyone. Merle slid his hands slowly up her abdomen to her breasts, and she tensed a little.

"It's OK, honey. You wanna stop?"

"No...please don't stop."

He closed his big strong hands around her breasts through her shirt then and bit at her throat. She responded to his touch by squirming between his legs, and he could feel his dick getting painfully hard, but this was all about her. Merle kneaded the perfect breasts in his hands, and she began to breathe deeper and slower, he loved this part. He proceeded with his touch up her shirt, and she was full on moaning at that point as he cupped her bare breasts in his big warm hands.

"That's nice, honey. You gettin' there?"

He needed a little input.

"I wanted you to touch me this way...I thought about it so many times..."

She sounded so dreamy, and her skin was so soft, he felt so much more than usual...she was getting to him on a level he didn't expect.

His fingertips pinched her nipples just lightly, and she arched her back against him. He noticed that her legs finally moved apart and that was his opening, both literally and figuratively. Merle reached down with both hands to start pulling the sarong up her legs to the tops of her thighs. He slid his hand slowly up her right thigh to her panties, and her legs opened wider in anticipation of his touch. When he finally grazed his fingertips over the crotch of her little black panties she was so wet that he almost begged for more, but Merle Dixon was no amateur, and that's not how this game was played. He would not fuck her that night. She just wasn't the kind of woman you nailed the first night, he wanted to savor her.

"Jesus...."

Her voice was but a whisper and the way she closed her eyes and leaned into him made adrenaline flood his heart. She was so sensual and unexpectedly erotic. He loved the way her legs were tense; he was gonna get himself inside her in time; he knew how it would play out. He'd get her off that night, and he'd do it good, she would suddenly become more available to him, then they'd have a heavy make-out session, and then one night she'd ask him to fuck her.

"Relax, baby girl, it's OK," he growled under his breath. "I'm gonna make you feel good."

Her legs opened further, and he moved his fingers in slow circles all over her pussy through the material. Mae's head fell back on his shoulder, and she gave in to him, the pendulum swung in his favor, and it was on.

"You're so wet, little one..."

"I...it feels good."

"That's right; your body likes the way I'm touchin' you...I wanna make you cum, baby. I wanna make you fall apart."

"Touch my skin...please."

He shifted her panties to the side, and suddenly he was touching her bare skin. The soft wet lips, the slippery space between the folds of her most intimate needy location had Merle driving himself crazy. He wanted to suck those sweet lips into his mouth and tease her pussy with his tongue, but he'd wait. Merle wanted her to come begging for it.

She was starting to relax, and he reached down to pull her legs over his own, so they were wide apart. Merle stoked her fire so well that she was shuddering against him already and whining for more.

"This feels...how do you do this so well?"

"Experience. I take it you're pleased."

"I knew you could make me feel this way...I just knew it."

Merle grinned and licked her neck as his skilled fingers entered her by just an inch; he was a huge tease. She hissed and arched her back into his chest. He figured he'd push the envelope a little just to test the waters, so he lay his hand on her chin and eased her head back a little further on his shoulder. He held his hand just lightly on her throat and she groaned in agony. She responded just the way he expected, with her legs draped over the sides of his open thighs, and her body craving him like a drug.

"Give it up to me, girl...you're right there, I can feel it."

"Oh...oh my goodness," she murmured, and it was about the sexiest thing he'd ever heard.

What kind of woman uttered 'oh my goodness' when she was aroused? The sweetest young woman on the face of God's green Earth, that's who. Merle pulled up her shirt to tease her nipples more easily and went back to tracing little circles around her swollen clit; he was torturing himself with her body. He used both hands and his mouth to urge her to the finish line...inch by sweet inch. Her hand reached back then and grabbed him by the back of his neck, and she called out in agony.

"Oh....oh Jesus!"

Merle held his hand against her throat and bit the side of her neck as she came, it was heaven. Her entire body tensed and writhed, then relaxed against him again and he could feel her sweet pussy pulsating with release against his fingertips. Mae was panting softly, and a thin layer of sweat made her skin glisten. Merle wanted this girl so bad it hurt, and he would have her, that was already decided.

"Happy now?" he growled.

  
  


 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song Merle plays is April Wine 'I'm on fire for you, baby'   
> I love 70s love songs and make out songs and I think Merle would too;) They might remind him of his first sexual conquests because he would have been young in the 70s. This song is slow and sexy and I could see him showering and thinking of a woman to this song. lol

_ ** Daddy Issues  ** _

_ ** ~ Chapter Two  ** _

Merle repeated to her that she held all of the cards and that he was right downstairs if she needed anything, no strings attached. A young woman in the city with nobody to count on was someone that he'd happily help out even if she never wanted him to touch her again; he wasn't a monster. Based on experience, though, she'd be at his door looking for more very soon. Merle wanted to have sex with this girl, there were no two ways about it, but it still had to be her call. He would wait patiently till the moment he could pounce and take over her body freely.

/

The next day Merle was up early for work and would be training a new driver on a rural run. His courier company was doing well, and he liked running his own business. He had his thermos filled with coffee and was just lighting a cigarette on his way out the door when he noticed Mae sitting up on her balcony.

"What are you doing up so early, honey?" he called up to her.

"Sketching the sunrise," she answered, and he noticed a pad of paper on her bare lap. 

She was only wearing a t-shirt with panties, and it was sexy as anything he'd ever seen in his life.

"Will you let me see it later?" he asked. 

"Sure," she smiled sweetly.

Her bare feet were resting on the railing of the balcony, and he loved everything about the way she looked. She had no makeup on, her hair was still a mess, and her pale skin was glowing in the early morning light. Merle could stand there staring at her all day, but he couldn't think of much else to say.

"Can't wait to see it. Have a good day."

"You too...you could come up to see it tonight if you wanted to."

Mae was swiftly becoming a conquest in his mind, something about her just spoke to him. He wanted this girl with the bad father under him, moaning his name and begging for more, he couldn't help it. Mae was an itch he needed to scratch. 

/

Merle was home at the usual 5 pm that night and made something quick to eat before getting cleaned up to go and see Mae's sketch. It was a thinly veiled excuse just to be in her presence again, but he didn't care. A part of him said that maybe he should cut ties with such a good girl, but he had set his mind on possessing her body and couldn't resist her. Merle played a record as he took a shower and sang along as he recalled the sensation of touching her the night before. He couldn't wait for her to plead with him to take her, he knew it was coming.

  
  


_** So, come on, girl, we'll raise the sky  ** _

_** We'll break on through; we'll get so high  ** _

_** And, don't worry about tomorrow's world  ** _

_** The time is now; I need you, girl  ** _

  
  


_** I'm on fire for you, baby ** _

_** Fire for you, woman, all night  ** _

_** I'm on fire for you, baby ** _

_**Fire for you, woman, all night**_  

  
  


By the time he knocked on her door, it had occurred to him that she was consuming his thoughts, but it felt good. Once he'd slept with her the thoughts would surely dissipate, and he'd be able to think of something else, that's how it usually went anyway. 

"Hey," she smiled as she backed up to let him inside.

"How was your day?"

"Pretty good. The doctor I work for is a jerk, but it's OK," she shrugged.

Merle had a seat on her couch, and she offered him a drink.

"Thanks, honey."

He sipped the beer she brought him and then asked to see her sketch since that had been his excuse to come up in the first place.

"It's not very good," she prefaced as she grabbed her sketchbook and handed it to him.

Merle was expecting a basic pencil drawing but was stunned by what he saw. She had added all the buildings and all of the individual clouds; it looked so real it was eerie. Somehow she had managed to capture a sunrise perfectly, without even adding color.

"Can I see some more?"

Mae smiled and bent down to take some more books out from a drawer in her coffee table. She handed them over and sat next to him as he flipped through the countless drawings and a few beautiful watercolor paintings. Merle was amazed at what this young woman could do, and he wondered why she wasn't doing something art related for a job. He knew she was working for a doctor and it didn't compute at all.

"It's just for fun," she prefaced.

"What are you doing working for a doctor, Mae?"

"Huh?"

"You're a great artist."

"You think so?"

"Yeah, I really think so."

"My dad said I'd be an idiot to pursue art...I was going to take art classes at the college, but he refused to pay for that."

"You're kidding. Has he seen what you can do?"

"I don't think he's very impressed with them," she answered.

"So you ended up taking something you didn't even care about in school?"

"Medical administration," she sighed.

"That's a crime, honey."

"It's funny...my dad wasn't even around for most of my childhood, and now he wants to dictate everything I do as if it'll make up for the years he wasn't there. I'm trying to make him proud, but it's exhausting. He hates the way I dress; he hates all the things I like...it feels pointless to try to win his love."

"You should never have to win your own father's love. The man is an asshole if you don't mind me saying so."

"It's not the first time I've heard that."

Merle was stunned that her father was making her jump through hoops for affection, he wanted to give the guy a good thumping for hurting her. Mae wasn't his girlfriend or anything, but he still didn't like seeing a nice young woman hurt.

"Mae, you're very talented. You can always pursue art on the side if you wanted to...I think you should."

"How?"

"Create a website and sell your work online. Maybe you could do some commissioned work too."

Mae looked at him very seriously for a moment, and he wondered what she was thinking until she spoke.

"You think my work is good enough for something like that?"

"I know it is."

"I don't know how to make a website, though," she smiled.

"I do."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, it's not that hard. I'll take care of it for you."

"I can't ask you to do that, Merle."

"You didn't ask, I offered. I can have it done in no time; it's no big deal."

"Thank you so much...nobody ever had this much faith in me before."

"It's about time someone did then cause you're a seriously gifted young woman."

"Why are you being so nice to me?"

"I wanna see you happy; you're a nice girl."

She seemed to break a little then, and so he held her. It was criminal that he was the only one lining up to tell her how amazing she was, Merle was happy to be the one though.

He left her that evening after a couple more beers and enough friendly chit-chat that she was laughing again. Some nights just weren't right for sex, and she wasn't going anywhere, she was right upstairs, and he loved that. Merle wasn't the type to offer to make a website or anything else for a woman, he'd drive them home or buy them breakfast, but that was normally all he'd do. He had offered her help without even thinking; he just wanted to make her smile.

/

Merle began to work on the website the very next day. He had designed the one for his own business, and he knew he could come up with something good for her. He asked her for some of her favorite work to add to the design of the site and checked some of the details with her before continuing; the site was going to be perfect for her. 

She came over in the evening to see what he'd come up with and was excited to see it coming together so quickly. Merle was in just a t-shirt and a pair of black 'lounging around the house' pants, she was very casual, so he didn't bother putting on airs and graces around her. She was in a pair of boxers and a black tank top with no bra, and he tried not to stare hungrily at her breasts. She had walked down to his place barefoot, and he loved everything about being so casual with her. 

"You're really good at this, Merle."

"I try," he smiled.

He was sat on the couch and moving things around on the web page to see what looked best when she slid in behind him and leaned her head on his shoulder to take a look. Her bare legs wrapped around him from behind and he was surprised at her forwardness. This shy girl wasn't messed up by the night before; she apparently felt OK with him. Merle had come across girls who thought that a night with him was what they wanted but it was clear that they weren't comfortable; he ended those encounters before they even began. 

"You smell good," she whispered.

"Yeah? I think that's a mixture of sweat, shampoo, and deodorant," he laughed.

"Whatever it is, I like it,” she purred. 

He could feel her breath on his skin, so he dared to reach back and touch the back of her head, and then she kissed his neck, lighting him on fire.

"You're playing with matches, honey," he teased.

"Am I?" she asked in a seductive little way.

"What do you want?" he moaned as her tongue met with his neck and she pulled him in closer.

"More than last time," she said.

"No riddles, little girl...tell me what you need, and it's yours."

She continued to kiss his skin and then ran her tongue over his earlobe.

"I want you inside me."

"Damn," he hissed. "What's gotten you so frisky tonight? Where's my shy girl?"

"I may have smoked up a little after work," she giggled. "I was painting; sometimes it helps with my creative juices...and other juices too."

"Aren't I supposed to keep my dirty hands off you if you're high?"

"I'm not that high...I know exactly what I want I assure you."

"Well, you can have something, but I want you sober for actual sex."

"Are you really gonna be so mean to me?" she whined playfully. 

Merle could feel his cock flooding with blood, and then her hand moved down around his side to the space between his legs. She was feeling comfortable enough to touch him, and he loved that, he didn't want to feel like he was making all the first moves.

"Mmmm...this is what I want," she purred as she began to feel him up through his thin sleep pants.

"Be a good girl, and you just might get it,” he growled. 

"I'll be good, I promise," she answered in a sweet little voice that he loved.

Merle set the laptop down on the table and turned halfway to meet her face to face. 

"Come and sit yourself down, girl...tell me just what you need.”

Mae's heart was beating so fast, and his eyes were so serious that she knew she was in for an experience like no other. She could feel all the blood running through her veins like blazing fire, a result of the excellent pot from her best friend at work and also the way he made her body burn for contact whenever she saw him.

She squirmed out from behind him and came to straddle his lap slowly sinking down on the hardness beneath her. He wrapped both arms around her body and buried his face in her breasts through the thin material of her tank top. Mae felt his face move slowly back and forth over her nipples through the cotton and she whined in approval. She reached down to pull the shirt over her head and in only a moment he was taking her nipples into his mouth hungrily. 

The pull in her lower belly was so intense that she ground herself against him desperately. Merle Dixon was all the fire in all the depths of hell, so hot that he was burning her alive.

"Please..." she whimpered.

"Not yet, girl...not even close."

Merle slid his hands inside the loose boxers and grabbed her by the ass with both hands, urging her in just that extra inch against his cock. She was so smooth and so different. He couldn't run his fingers through her hair in those blue and violet dreads so when he needed her mouth closer he just lay his big hands on either side of her face to kiss her deeper. Her desire soaking through her boxers was beginning to leave a wet spot where his dick was pressing against her, and he couldn't wait any longer. He had to get this girl off, and he wanted her touch as well. He wasn't planning to go so fast, but she had pushed the envelope all by herself sooner than expected. 

Merle picked her up and lay her on the carpet in the middle of the room and looked down at the girl beneath him. She was going to be more fun than he thought. 

/

His eyes were so hungry, and she needed his touch on her skin. Sometimes her shyness was abated by smoking up or drinking, and maybe it wasn't 100% responsible, but she was young, and she didn't owe anyone anything. She was just high enough to take the edge off of her nerves, and she knew exactly what she was doing. Mae reached down to push her boxers down her legs, and his eyes rolled back in his head as her fully nude body came into view. 

"A natural redhead, huh?" he winked as he bent down to get closer.

"Uh huh," she grinned. "Make me feel better; I'm hurtin' for you."

"Open up, little girl. Show me where it hurts, and I'll kiss it all better."

Merle urged her thighs apart gently, she was still just that little touch of shy, and it made him horny as hell. He bit at her inner thighs lightly, pulling a little 'oh!' from her lips and then it was on. His big hands held her hips, and he lay belly-down to take in every single inch of her pussy. Soft kisses, teasing licks, and then slowly delving further into her fire with the tip of his tongue. 

Mae shivered and tried to relax as he worked his magic but she was writhing almost immediately. He was perfect, not too light, not too rough, and he didn't drag his tongue over her sensitive clit like her ex who didn't have a clue. Merle teased around it seductively and closed his lips around it gently with just enough motion to get her right where she needed to be. This was the result of years of experience, and she knew it. 

"Turn over," he growled, and she didn't even think of questioning him, her body was in very good hands.

Merle kissed up the backs of her thighs to her ass and bit her there playfully as he spread her legs and got to work. She moaned at the sensation of his hands reaching under her chest to feel her tits as he licked her ass cheek with his hot tongue.

It was wild times on the living room carpet, and she was so ready for it. Merle was a lover like she'd never known.

He got his face down low to tease her lips from behind, and she lifted her tailbone to allow him greater access, and there was nowhere he didn't tease her with his tongue. All the way from the front to the back he destroyed her with his exquisite mouth till she was almost sobbing with need. She felt his fingers begin to tease her clit as he licked her entrance with a thirst that made her want to quench his every desire.

/

Merle could feel her coming apart, and so he slid two of his fingers inside her to feel the pulsating of her release, he loved that part. She was impossibly tight, and he wanted to get inside her so badly it burned, but he was determined to wait. Mae broke with a full body shudder, her hands grasping at the carpet and a desperate cry from her perfect mouth. She was like a kitty cat stretching in the sunshine, her tail up and her chest down and her perfect ass in his face as she cried out his name just the way he liked it. 

She insisted on blowing him, and he couldn't say no to that. She sat him on the couch and knelt between his thighs to take him over, and she did it just right. The girl was enthusiastic and used everything in her female arsenal to make him bend to her will. She kissed his belly and chest as her breasts teased his cock and he grasped the couch cushions trying to keep his cool. She took him into her slippery, smooth mouth and nothing ever felt quite so good. She kept her eyes closed and would occasionally stop to lick slowly from the base to the tip to his visual delight. She owned his cock, and when he came, she took it all happily, much to his satisfaction.

"That's a good girl...fuuuuck yeah," he growled.

Merle was wasted afterward and still needed more, but that would have to wait for next time, he was starting to like the wait. It was one thing to make out while she was high but he wanted her stone cold sober when he finally fucked her, he wanted her to clearly remember every second and every inch of him.

  
  


 


	3. Chapter 3

_ **Daddy Issues** _

_ **~ Chapter 3** _

A day or two later there was another storm, but the power stayed on, and that was fortunate since he was sitting in the living room doing some paperwork. Merle had a few drivers who worked for him that he had to keep organized and do payroll for. The truth was that he had more than enough money to buy a house, but he never saw the point when he lived alone. He could hear music upstairs in Mae's apartment, and she was singing along, it made him grin.

An hour later she knocked on his door, and he was happy to see her face through the peephole. When he opened the door, she was in sweats and a men's undershirt and explained that she was packing up to go home for a few days.

"You're comin' back though, right?" he winked.

"Definitely. I just promised my mom I'd go home for my birthday. I'm turning 24."

"Happy birthday, young one," he chuckled. "You're a good daughter going home like that."

"I keep trying to be," she shrugged. "My dad actually called and said he has a surprise for me so maybe he's finally changing."

"Anything's possible," Merle smiled, although he doubted it very much.

"The problem is that I have a parcel coming tomorrow and I won't be here to sign for it-"

"And you want me to receive it for you?"

"Sorry to pester you, but I don't know anyone else."

"It's fine, honey. Just give them my address, and I'll take care of it."

"Thank you so much...you're too good to me."

"It's my pleasure. I'll have your site done by the time you get back I bet."

"I still can't believe you're doing that for me."

"It's nothing."

"You're the best," she smiled.

Mae went back to her apartment, and he thought about her as he finished his paperwork. He had hoped she'd stay for a while, but she had packing to do.

/

Mae was gone for two nights, and when she got back on the third evening, Merle happened to see her getting out of the cab with her suitcase, so he went down to grab it for her. He wanted to show her the website, and he wanted to hear about her trip. None of this was typical of him, but he pushed that to the back of his mind. He told himself it was still just casual and nothing he couldn't handle.

"Oh! Thanks, Merle," she smiled as he took hold of her luggage, but there was something strange in her eyes, a sadness.

"No problem," he answered, fully intending to get the story from her.

He carried her suitcase up to her suite and then said he'd just grab her parcel from his place. Merle came back up and handed her the box, and she thanked him again.

"So, how was your birthday?" he asked, wondering if he should have bought her something or if she'd find that strange.

"It was OK. My mom made me a homemade cake and bought me a book I really wanted."

"That's nice," he smiled.

Something told him it was her dad that was the source of the pain in her eyes, and he didn't want to pry but he also really wanted to know. He could see she was the type never to want to bother anyone and that he'd have to ask her about it to get it out of her. Merle told himself he shouldn't care that Mae was just a girl he was trying to screw, but he did care, and there was no escaping it.

"What was the surprise your dad mentioned, if you don't mind me asking?"

Mae sat down on the couch with a heavy sigh and looked up at him; she looked so small, so fragile.

"He has a new girlfriend...another cocktail waitress. He just wanted to introduce me to her and her three kids...he didn't have a clue it was my birthday until I mentioned it."

"Oh honey...I'm so sorry," Merle said, sitting down next to her.

"I'm such an idiot. I always think he's going to care about me like everyone else's dad, but it's never gonna happen."

She was teary-eyed and exhausted, he could see that she needed someone to take care of her and he wanted to be that person. Maybe it was just a casual sexual thing, but Mae was a nice girl, and she was all alone.

"I got an idea."

"What?"

Her voice was a little broken and soft, and he hated that.

"You go jump in the shower, and I'll go pick up some Chinese food. Put on something comfy, and we can watch a movie, anything you like. That sound good?"

"That sounds so nice. Thank you."

Just as expected, she broke down and cried in his arms for a few minutes. Merle knew just what it was like to have a shitty father who didn't give a damn about anyone but himself.

"I'll be back in half an hour, OK?"

"You're the best there is, Merle. I'm not making you pity me, am I?"

"I just know what this is like, honey. My dad was the same way."

/

Merle ran out to the best Chinese food restaurant in the city to pick up supper for them both, but only after grabbing a nice bottle of wine and some chocolate for her. The truth was that he was doing this for himself as well as her, he liked her company. When he got back and placed the box of goodies on the floor to knock on her door, he was flat out excited. Mae answered the door in a pair of leggings and an oversized t-shirt with her hair still damp, and he loved the way she looked.

"What do I owe you?"

"Nothing, honey, consider it a birthday present. Sit down," he smiled.

Merle wanted to show her the work he'd done on the site but she needed an evening of comfort first, and he wanted to be the one to make her feel better. None of this behavior was within the range of normal for him, but he decided not to question it. They were having a fun little affair, but he fully expected her to call it off when she found something better. Women either treated him as a one night stand or a weekend affair before they walked away, this was the longest relationship he'd had in years. He knew how it would pan out though, Mae would meet some guy and then he'd suddenly stop seeing her at his door. Merle just wanted to enjoy it while it lasted cause there's no way she'd still be messing with him in a few weeks. He wasn't stupid, he knew he was just a way for her to kill some time and fill in the loneliness but it felt good for him, and that was good enough.

Half an hour later she was downing noodles and deep fried shrimp and looked contented again. He was telling her about growing up in the days without internet and with eight tracks instead of streaming music, and she listened intently. She wanted to watch 'Pretty in Pink,' and he didn't complain, he'd watch anything she liked even if it was a chick flick. It would be a lie to say he didn't want to touch her but that wasn't why he was there. If she didn't' make a move, it wouldn't happen, but fortunately for him, it did happen.

Halfway through the movie, he poured her a glass of the blackcurrant wine, and she loved it so much that it went down fast.

"I've never had this before; it's delicious."

"You a little lush tonight?" he teased.

"It feels good to be home and to relax...it's not my fault that he's like this, right?"

"Of course not, and he's the one missing out if he doesn't get it. I kinda think some guys just aren't cut out for being dads."

"Like your dad?"

"Yep. Me and my brother Daryl didn't do anything wrong to deserve the way he was, but it took us ages to get our heads around that."

"I was feeling so lost when I got home. Thank you for all of this."

"It's my pleasure."

She paused and looked right into his eyes.

"I feel so good around you," she said softly.

This girl was all sweetness and light, and he wanted so badly for her life to be better somehow. She moved closer on the couch and looked down at her own hand, only inches from his leg.

"Whenever I'm near you I can't help but think of touching you," she said. "It's like I can't control myself."

The 80s movie was playing on in the background, and all the lights were out except a small lamp in the corner, the setting was perfect.

"You don't have to control yourself, honey. You're the reason I'm here so do as you like with me."

He liked how honest she was, she had been so nervous the first time, and that had turned him on but what he really wanted most was for a woman to feel happy about being with him. Merle didn't want regretful sexual experiences, perhaps irresponsible but not regretful.

He motioned for her to come closer. He took her cheek with his big hand and kissed her lips softly and slowly. The whole thing with Mae was different; she wasn't like the other young women he'd been with. Mae had some kind of power that he was drawn to. Merle knew it couldn't go anywhere serious; how could it with the age difference? Still, he found himself wanting it to keep going.

Her lips were soft and sweet, she tasted of cherry lipsil, and he liked the taste. Merle moved back on the couch so that she was on top of him and she closed her eyes as she sank into his arms. Soon his mouth found her neck and her hand moved over his chest and then down to his belt where she paused, just grasping the leather in her hand. Being touched by her was different, but he couldn't put his finger on why exactly. In all honesty, he just wanted to lay her out and make slow and sweet love to her, but this was her show; he was merely her assistant.

/

Mae was done playing around and now was the time in her mind. His body was hot to the touch, and she could feel how hard he was through the material, he was too hot for her to really get her mind around. All the times she'd seen him in the halls of the building, and she thought of something just like this was melting into surreal truth. It was obvious to her that he wasn't about to engage in a real relationship with someone her age, but she loved that she could at least touch him.

Mae had had sex before, a few younger guys from her hometown, but no real men. Merle was a real live man with hair on his chest, a deep sexy voice and big hands. He made her feel safe and cared for in a way she'd never known. No man ever looked out for her before, certainly not her father. Merle was encouraging her to pursue her art, and she could hardly believe the way he had complimented her.

Her hand soon found it's way under the waistband of his boxers and she touched his huge, hard cock greedily. Mae had been thinking of his dick ever since the first night she'd seen it, she'd never get his perfect body out of her mind. Next, his hand was moving up under her shirt and taking her breast, teasing her nipples so perfectly...just light and gentle. Mae jerked him off nice and slow, and he groaned into her neck, lighting her on fire with need and leaving her burning.

"I love the way you touch me," she panted, and he whispered back that he'd happily touch her whenever she wanted it.

/

Merle lifted her shirt up slowly and rolled her under him to kiss her belly. He dragged his tongue from her navel to the space between her breasts and stopped there to take in the moment. Mae ran her fingers through his hair and moaned when his lips met with the soft pink skin of her nipple. She hissed and sucked in air like she was fully down for anything and he wanted her body like a hunger. Merle wanted to make all of her dreams come true. Soon he was sucking her entire nipple and then moving slowly to the other as she writhed under him.

He was positioned between her thighs and slowly thrusting against her crotch, teasing her with the pressure of his hardness. Merle took a little more time to get her into it, but then it was on, and he was beginning to pull her tight black leggings down. Merle raised up on his knees and pulled the pants off, tossing them on the floor before coming back down to her.

Mae didn't have any panties on, she seemed adverse to underwear in general, and she looked up at him in the dim golden light of the living room. He couldn't wait to taste her again. He took it slow, and step by step, but it wasn't long before he was licking softly at her lips and she was easing the grip of her legs on his shoulders. Within five minutes he had her thighs laying open on the living room floor when the couch ceased to provide enough room, and she was pulling at his hair. Her heels were pressed to the cheap carpeting, and she was raising her body up to his mouth desperately. Mae lay there in only her t-shirt pulled up to her neck on the carpet, she was so beautiful to him.

"Jesus! Merle...you make me crazy inside."

Merle fingered her and sucked her lips gently, then lifted her pussy up off the carpet to his thirsty mouth. He left no move out of his playbook.

"Oh my God...that's right, daddy! Do it...Mmmmm!"

Merle could not believe the adorable gibberish coming out of her mouth; much to his surprise, he really liked her calling him 'daddy.'

Mae came undone and whined like she was in agony. It went on for a good thirty seconds straight and then slowly dissipated. Merle looked down at her, and he loved how out of it she looked. She was just laying there with her legs open and her eyes closed with a dopey grin on her face. Their encounter wasn't over for the night, though, it was only the beginning...

 


	4. Chapter 4

_ **Daddy Issues** _

_ **~ Chapter 4** _

"I can't wait," she panted. "It has to be now."

Mae was up and on her knees like she wanted to tackle him so fast he couldn't keep up.

"You got condoms, cause I'm about ready to get this done up right," he grinned when he found his footing.

"Right this way," she grinned and pulled him by the hand to her bedroom.

Finally, they were going to take this casual sexual fling to an actual bedroom, and he couldn't wait to fuck her properly; he was aching for it now. Mae turned on a small lamp on the dresser next to the door so that they could see each other and find their way around. There were paintings on the walls that he hadn't seen, mainly cityscapes and a few of flowers. Merle wouldn't have taken her for a flowery type of girl; it was just another fascinating little layer to who she was. He snapped out of the thought when she pulled off her shirt and crawled onto the bed, displaying her sweet ass. Merle followed along and immediately pulled her under him.

"Condoms?" he asked.

"Bedside table, top drawer," she winked but when he reached over to grab one he almost pissed himself.

"Fuck!" he yelped.

"What's wrong?"

"There's a giant fucking spider, Mae!"

"It's OK; it's a pet. He can't get out of there, relax," she giggled.

There was a small terrarium beside her bed that housed a black tarantula who was perched calmly on a piece of cork bark. It gave Merle the heebie-geebies, and he was convinced it was going to get out and kill him.

"Why the hell do you have that thing?" he asked.

"I like him, now come over here," she purred. "Don't worry about Mr. Leggy."

"You named it?"

"Merle, just come here," she giggled.

"Jesus...you're sure it can't get out?"

"I'm quite sure. Can we have sex now, please?"

"Right, Jesus...yeah, sorry."

Merle felt a little less than smooth at being frightened by her pet, but he hadn't been expecting it; tarantulas freaked him right out.

He pulled his shit together and forgot all about it when he moved between her thighs, and she began to run the head of his cock up and down the slit of her pussy seductively. He was hovering over her and ready to go, the sensation of her slippery folds was absolutely killing him.

"I want you inside me, daddy."

There it was again. That word made his cock so hard, and he had to get inside her. He didn't even care if it was a little perverted, it was probably just an age thing or even a dominance thing, and Merle certainly wasn't the type to feel shame over kinks. She wasn't really a little girl, and he certainly wasn't her daddy, it was just bedroom fun. Mae watched as he slid the condom down his ample length, she wanted it so bad, and she was just about to beg when he finally impaled her.

"That's right, little girl...hold on tight...daddy's gonna take care of ya."

He slid halfway in and loved the reaction he received. Her back arched deeply, and her head craned back on the pillow as she gripped his shoulder.

"Fuuuuuuuck!" she winced as his massive cock pushed against all of her inner walls at once.

"Like that, little one?" he panted.

"You're so big, daddy...I love it."

"And you're so tight. You takin' that dick OK? Should I go easy on my little girl?"

"I can take it...you feel so good."

Merle chuckled at the silly game they were playing and just lay into her like he wanted to from the start. His hand slid under her ass, and her hand rested on his chest, it was perfect. Merle pulled her legs up onto his shoulders and drove into her so deep that she whimpered in ecstasy. He knelt upright before her and held her calves up to kiss them as he fucked her, her little feet on either side of his head.

"You happy, little girl?"

"Just like I dreamed....so good to me, baby," she whined, and he never let up once.

The rhythm was steady, and soon he was panting over her and driving his cock home. It felt incredible with Mae, everything about her body just meshed with his own. Her beautiful face below him was a sight for sore eyes until she insisted they switch it up. Merle lay back as a beautiful young woman covered in tattoos with blue and violet dreads fucked him right out of his mind. She gripped the headboard and nailed him harder than he ever expected. Sexually, she was completely different than the image he had conjured; she was wild. He held her by the waist as she fucked him and just enjoyed it. Merle was excited that he wasn't hurting her although she was whining like his cock was a lot to take. He could only handle it for another few minutes, and then he snatched her up to lay her on her belly.

"Finish me off, daddy," she pleaded, and he did as he was told.

Merle fucked her from behind, his big hand on her back, occasionally laying a little smack on her ass as he thrust into her. She was on all fours, and he loved the sight of her pussy on offer to him. Mae raised her ass, dropped her chest to the bed, and reached down between her legs to feel him moving in and out of her, and it was such a devilish move. She created just a hint of pressure on either side of his cock with her fingers, and he could see stars.

"Fuck around, girl!" he moaned, knowing she was the best lay he'd ever had.

"Hold on, I need a minute more," she instructed, and he wondered if he had it in him.

"I'm so close," he groaned.

"Just another second and I'll come on your dick for ya."

"Sweet Jesus!" he hissed.

She moved her fingers rapidly on either side of her clit and soon she was right there again.

"Mmmmm....oh my God...oh...uh!"

Her perfect pussy milked the cum from his dick, and he growled like a bear as he filled the condom and then fell down dead onto her mattress.

"Jesus Christ, girl!"

"Happy now?" she giggled.

/

"So, tell me what this look is all about?"

"What?"

"Mae, you've been dreamy-eyed all day, and I wanna know why?"

Mae couldn't keep it inside any longer, and Jacqui was a trustworthy co-worker.

"I met someone, but he's older than me."

"That's OK. A man a few years older is more responsible and settled in life. That can be a really good thing."

"It's more than a few years," she added tentatively.

"How many years?" Jacqui pressed.

"Uh...22 or 23, I think?"

Jacqui spit coffee on her computer screen and quickly rushed to grab some paper towels before the doctor they worked for jumped down her throat.

"Mae, what the hell?" Jacqui exclaimed.

"He's a good man, and he's so beautiful it hurts just to look at him."

"He could be your dad!" Jacqui shot back.

There weren't any patients in the office and so Jacqui really let her have it.

"Technically, maybe."

"Nope, he totally could. Are you sure that it's a good idea to sleep with a man that old?"

"I really like him."

"But he's almost a senior citizen!"

"Jacqui, you don't understand, he's-"

A patient walked in for their appointment then, so the conversation died, but Mae felt judged and silly, thinking maybe she should keep it to herself.

/

Merle didn't see Mae around for a day or two after they had sex and he began to think she had thought better about spending her time with him until she came knocking on his door.

"Hey, can I come in?" she asked.

"You're always welcome here," he said softly.

Merle was excited to see her, but he hated that he was losing all of his power. The thought of calling up an old flame when he didn't hear from Mae had crossed his mind, but he couldn't quite pull the trigger on that. She sat down on his couch, and when he came to sit next to her, there was a palpable air of tension between them.

"You OK?" he asked.

"I just wanted to see you; I hate sitting alone up there all the time."

"I was just gonna make a drink if you want one," he offered.

"Thanks, that would be nice."

"Your website is done, I sent you the link last night."

"Sorry, I didn't see the email yet."

"It's OK. Just let me know if there's anything you want to change before it goes live."

"I'm sure it's perfect, Merle. Thank you so much."

"It was nothing."

He poured her another glass of the wine still left from the other night, and they fell into a friendly chat about nothing much.

"You look like something's wrong," he noted after a few minutes.

"Do you think age difference is a big deal in relationships?"

"Not all the time. Why?"

"I mentioned to a friend at work that I was seeing an older man, and she reacted in a way I didn't expect," she shrugged.

"Disgusted?' he asked.

"Maybe...she was kinda stunned and almost disturbed by it. I wasn't expecting that."

"That's not an uncommon reaction. She was probably just concerned for you. People think I'm a deviant for dating younger women."

"You date younger women a lot?" she asked.

"I guess I do, I don't even think I'd call it dating...it's usually just sex, to be honest. Think differently about me now?"

"No. I just didn't realize that...so you do this all the time?"

"What happened with you doesn't happen all the time for me. What happened with us is different."

"How?"

"Cause I really like you, even though it can't go anywhere I still like you a lot."

"I like you a lot too."

"You're a sweetheart, Mae. I just want you to be happy."

"I feel happy right now," she said softly.

"Me too."

She came closer and kissed him then, and he wanted to tell her to stay all night so that he could wake up with her in his arms but didn't. Merle told himself that he hadn't missed her, but that lie held no water now that she was in his arms again. He didn't want to need her though. There was no way it could work so needing her would only cause him misery.

Mae's work friend was shuddering in shock and Merle would have to face being called a cradle snatcher, there were just too many complications to proceed. A real relationship was off the table, but he could be with her right in that moment, nobody could take that from him except her, and she was willing. Merle jumped in then, and she came right along with him. He tasted her skin from her forehead to the soles of her feet, and they entangled themselves in each other in every way. Somehow it was good enough just to be together in a place where nobody could see them and tell them it was wrong or disturbed. They had sex in his bed this time, and it was much slower and much simpler, their minds were somewhat occupied.

"I'm glad you came by. I was wondering if I'd be seeing you again."

"I thought maybe I'd be making a nuisance of myself if I come down here too much."

"You couldn't be a nuisance to me if you tried."

"Thanks. I really needed to hear that."

They spent some time just hanging out, and she asked to see his records. Merle had mentioned playing vinyl a few times, so she wanted to hear some of his music. Merle played her all of his favorites, and she loved how excited he got about his music. She hadn't heard of most of his music, it was from an era when she wasn't even born, but it sounded good especially when he sang along. Merle was down the hall grabbing another album from his bedroom and probably didn't think she could hear him, but she could always hear him, even from her own apartment.

__**As my life goes on, I believe  
Somehow something's changed  
Something deep inside  
Ooh a part of me  
There's a strange new light in my eyes  
Things I've never known  
Changin' my life  
Changin' me  
I've been searchin'  
So long  
To find an answer  
Now I know my life has meaning...**

Mae was left wondering why it couldn't happen for them, why couldn't they be together if they liked each other. Maybe she liked him a lot more than he liked her, though, maybe this was normal for him. She didn't know exactly where she stood, but she had to find out.

 


	5. Chapter 5

_ **Daddy Issues** _

_ **~ Chapter 5** _

 

Mae sat at her laptop in her living room and played around with the website Merle had created for her the next evening. All of the drawings she wanted to post were there. It had communication set up for requests and a moderated comment section, it was perfect. He had explained to her how she could change things around to her liking but there was nothing she wanted different about it. Mae smiled at the homepage and hit the launch button in the corner. She now had an outlet for her drawings and artistic expression, Merle had given her so much just with this simple favor. Art was something she thought she could never pursue and she would never have thought of the website alone, she never thought her stuff was good enough until Merle said otherwise.

Mae decided to make dinner reservations for them at a fancy restaurant to say thank you. She would get dressed up and pay for everything and show him that she was no little girl, despite their pet names in the bedroom. He was sure to see it soon, that there was something real between them and that they could make it work if only they wanted to. She smiled and closed the laptop, awaiting a response from people who might enjoy her art and took a load of laundry down to the shared laundry room. A tie-dyed sarong clung to her body and a black tank top completed her casual attire, life was too short to be uncomfortable. She lingered in the room to fold her laundry since it was right next to Merle's apartment and hummed to herself as she did.

"Hey."

It was almost like he could sense her when she was near.

"Hey you," she smiled. "I just launched the website; it's perfect."

"Glad you like it, honey. So what are you up to?"

"Nothing, did you wanna come over for a bit?"

"Sure."

He was in a pair of sleep pants and a t-shirt, and she loved the way they would just hang out in their cozy house clothes, it felt so comfortable to her. He carried up her laundry to her apartment, and she grabbed them both a drink.

Merle decided he wanted to try smoking up for the first time in years, so he asked if she had any. He hadn't been high since just after high school, and for a reason, he couldn't pin down he just wanted to try it with her.

"I just might," she winked. "You sure?"

"Why not? I got no work tomorrow. It's been years since I got high," he chuckled.

It was Friday night, and Merle just felt like being stupid with her for a few hours, she made him feel younger than he was. He felt free of constraints like age with her.

"It might be a little stronger than the last time you tried it," she laughed.

"I can handle it, little girl."

"If you say so."

She pulled out a cigar box from a bookshelf and set to work rolling a joint.

"Better open the balcony door, or we'll hotbox the place," she said and walked over to let fresh air flow through the apartment.

"You wanna sit out there?" he suggested.

"Sure."

Out on the little balcony, Merle sat on one of her plastic deck chairs and took in the slightly cooler evening air. Merle was handed a joint after she took a few hits and he felt nervous about what it would do to him, nervous and excited. It was strong as all hell and he wondered how an average sized woman could stand it so easy.

"Fuuuuuck!" he groaned as he began to feel the sensation of his blood flowing through every vein within only minutes.

"Good shit, right?" she winked.

"Strong...I feel funny already."

"Fear not, baby. I'll take care of you," she smiled.

Only five minutes later, her voice sounded like it was floating across the ocean toward him and he found himself giggling uncontrollably.

"You are adorable when you're high," she teased, and he let go of everything.

Merle felt so lazy then like he could just drift off but then the next thing he knew she was standing up and leaning over the railing of the balcony. In his drug-addled state, he thought she was going to jump, and it scared him to death.

"Jesus! You're gonna fall!" he yelled. "Get over here, girl!"

"Shhhh...you're screaming, Merle," Mae laughed. "I was just looking; I'm not going to fall."

Apparently, he had lost all sense of volume, so he began to whisper instead.

"I'll talk quieter...OK?" he whispered.

"No more for you," she chuckled. "Entertaining as this is, I think you've had enough, daddy."

Just then, a group of young people gathered below them on the street yapping and playing music next to their car on their way out to a party and smelled the smoke above.

"Hey! What time is it?" one of them screamed, and she yelled down to them that it was 4:20 to much applause.

"I don't get it," Merle frowned.

"Come here," she grinned and pulled him into a hot kiss.

"Damn! Grandpa's got game!" a girl squealed, and suddenly they had a group of 20-somethings clapping loudly on the street below.

"See? Not everyone disapproves," she grinned.

"Nope, I think we got a fan club."

Merle found the situation far more amusing than usual thanks to his happy little high and so he pulled her into his arms and pressed her against the wall of the balcony.

Eventually, the group below finished chatting and went on their way out to the club, leaving Merle entangled with Mae on the balcony. He loved the buzz he was feeling and the way her blue and violet hair seemed to glow in the streetlights. Mae was magical to him in that moment, her skin was soft rose petals, her kiss was warm like the beach; the sensation of her was all around him and he loved it.

/

Mae let her head fall back and looked up at the stars above as he squirmed his way up under her sarong to her panties. It was like high school, like the first time she was ever touched only better. Now she knew the bliss that lay ahead, she wasn't nervous, only excited. Merle ripped her panties down her legs and knelt down at her feet to take her to the limit again.

"Merle...you're better than any high," she moaned.

"You're better than a glass of single malt scotch," he mumbled as he dove into her soft flesh with his eager mouth.

"Oh damn!" she cried out into the dark.

Maybe someone would notice and maybe they wouldn't, but in that moment Merle and Mae couldn't care less. They finished the encounter with him nailing her from behind and her hands gripping the rail with all her might. He realized halfway through that he was being an idiot not to use a condom, he always used a condom, but the moment had just sprung up on him.

She leaned back into his body to kiss his mouth and it was easily the most romantic moment of her young life. Merle didn't think it would work, maybe he was right. Mae was putting her money on them working something out though, she wanted more than just a casual sexual tryst. Merle came on her ass with a lamentable groan in the dark as they both panted and tried to catch their breath. What they had was giddy, youthful, sexual, but still loving and she wasn't ready to let it go.

"Come to bed," she whispered, "Stay over tonight."

"I'll come with you, just don't take that fuckin' monster out or I'll scream like a little bitch," he chuckled.

"You'll be safe, baby, I promise."

/

Merle held onto her in the dark and his head was still spinning but he was deliriously happy. She was so free and so wild, he wanted to be a part of her world but even in his stoned state, he knew it had to stop at some point. He knew that just because something felt right, it didn't mean it was.

Mae had so much ahead of her, and so much about it didn't make sense in terms of the future. When she was 35, he'd be just about 60 and that wouldn't be fair. Merle didn't even know if he could pull off a monogamous, traditional relationship anyway. Maybe he could and everything would be wonderful but he had never even tried before. It hit him as she drifted off in his arms that he was in love with her, he loved her so much that he needed to ask himself the really hard questions.

Was being with her the most selfish thing he'd ever done? What did her future look like with him as opposed to a younger man? Would he hold her back and limit her options? Was love enough to make something wrong into something right?

 


	6. Chapter 6

_ **Daddy Issues** _

_ **~ Chapter 6**_

 

Mae got up in the night to use the bathroom, and when she came back, Merle was laying in her bed, half uncovered. His strong arms held a pillow under his head, and his broad shoulders looked perfect in the faint light from the hallway. She watched as his chest rose and fell with each breath and she had to capture it, capture him in that moment.

She pulled on a t-shirt and sat on the chair in the corner of her room to just look at him with her sketch pad in her lap. She switched on a lamp with a gold scarf laid over the lampshade to dull the glow and just sighed at the beauty of him. The composition of his body was stunning. His height, muscle tone and just the way he was put together made her almost faint. No man had ever pulled her in so easily; it was the fact that he was a real man too and not some silly boy. She loved being with him, even if all she could get was a casual sexual entanglement.

She began to sketch out the outline of his frame, and he moved slightly in his sleep, messing up her design before she started. Mae sighed and lit a half a joint in the ashtray next to her and zeroed in on his body again. Mae sat cross-legged, in full concentration for 2 hours just capturing the image on paper while she could. She had a feeling he wouldn't still be in her bed weeks from that night. He said he wasn't the type to have a relationship, although she still hoped he'd reconsider his stance on long-term monogamy. He looked like a Greek god on the page, muscular, perfectly posed and gorgeous. Mae smiled down at the sketch of him and knew that every time she looked at it, she would see him just as she did in that moment. The sketch would bring back the memory of him every time she saw it with heartbreaking clarity.

/

Merle woke up to find Mae refilling a little water dish in her tarantula's enclosure very slowly, so she didn't spook the creature.

"You actually do like that thing, don't you?" he grinned.

"I've had him for three years now, he's nice," she smiled.

"A quiet pet anyway," he chuckled. "What kind is it?"

"Avicularia avicularia...a pinktoe."

Merle had a closer look, and sure enough, the fluffy black spider had pink toes.

"Kinda cute I guess. Doesn't it bite?"

"I don't handle him, I just watch him and take care of him. They don't benefit from human contact, and you risk dropping them or getting them stressed," she explained.

"You're a weird chick, but I like that about you," he winked.

"What are your plans for this beautiful Saturday?" she asked as she crawled back into bed.

"A whole lotta nothing," he yawned.

"If you're hungry I could make you some breakfast," she offered.

"I could eat a horse," he grinned. "I got the post dope munchies."

/

Mae didn't typically bother cooking breakfast much for herself, she usually stuck to cereal, but she was going to make him a real man's breakfast.

By the time he got out of her shower she had a full plate of eggs, bacon, toast and shredded hashbrowns ready for him and he looked at it ravenously.

"Marry me," he teased, and she couldn't help wondering why he would never honestly entertain the idea of taking what they had further.

Was it really the reaction of society stopping him or was it something more?

Mae watched him devour the breakfast she made him and poured him a cup of coffee to wash it down, she liked cooking for him.

She decided not to show him the sketch; she thought he might find it strange of her to stay up for hours drawing a nude image of him. It had come out really well though so she planned to hang onto it.

"Do you want to go out or something?" he asked.

"Sure, where?"

"A hike or something? I feel kinda groggy after last night."

"It's a bit much when you haven't smoked up for years I bet," she noted.

"A little."

"I don't do it all the time or anything," she added.

"I ain't judging. When I was your age, I did it quite a bit."

"So where did you want to go?"

"Sweetwater Creek Park is nice."

"Sounds perfect," she smiled.

This was real relationship stuff, she thought, maybe he could feel it too.

/

It was only a 20-minute drive to the state park west of Atlanta, and she was stunned by the beauty of it. She threw on a pair of jeans and hiking boots with a t-shirt for the trip and couldn't wait to get back to nature a little.

Merle was a rugged outdoorsy type when he wasn't working, and she found that sexy as hell. He told her about hunting and fishing with his brother Daryl and how he'd grown up in the woods. He and Daryl had been raised in small-town Georgia and only move to the city when they each turned 18. Merle rambled about his life, his teen years and then about starting his own business. Mae admired his determination to make something of himself after a crappy childhood; it was inspiring to know what was possible if you just jumped in and tried. Maybe she could really get somewhere with her art. She wondered if maybe her look was stopping him from taking her more seriously.

"Merle, can I ask you a question and get an honest answer?" she asked as they started out on a trail into the trees.

"You can only get honest answers from me, honey."

"Do you think my look is too much?"

"For what?"

"For society? For you?"

"I think you're beautiful."

"So you don't think I should change?"

"Hell no. Why do you ask that?"

"Maybe you could see more of a future with me if I looked more traditional."

"It has nothing to do with the way you look, honey. It's the age difference that matters more than anything. You'll need a younger man for settling down with, and I'm too old for that."

He made his position pretty clear, and she didn't know how to respond, so she decided to just enjoy the day. If this was the way he really felt, then there was no point fighting about it. The last thing she wanted was a fight between them; he was all she had.

They walked the 'Yellow Trail' through the park and encountered a bridge across the creek, and she looked down into the water for a moment in the middle.

"You look deep in thought," he noted.

"Yeah...just wondering what to do with my life," she sighed.

"How do you mean?" he asked.

"Nothing. I'm just a little confused at the moment."

"Stop thinking so much," he grinned and pulled her into his arms to kiss her.

The sun shined down on their heads, and she loved him kissing her out in the open, even if nobody was around to see them. It felt like he was truly hers for that moment.

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry!  
> Please keep reading and I'll make it worth your while!!! xoxo  
> Love ya!  
> Teagan:)
> 
> Also, try not to hate Daryl too much. He hasn't seen Merle and Mae together so he doesn't know what he's saying. He thinks it's just another empty relationship for Merle solely based on sex and he wants him to look for something meaningful instead so he can be happy. He's trying to be a good brother....but fails. lol

_ **Daddy Issues** _

_ **~ Chapter 7**_

Everything went well for the next week, Mae's website had a huge response that showed her what Merle knew to be true. She was very talented, and her work would be in high demand. Merle knew he should probably be backing away from a relationship with her, but he couldn't bear to keep his distance. He had presumed that after they slept together, he'd be able just to walk away, but he still wanted more. He felt like it was very selfish to have her wasting her time with him when she should be looking for a real partner but he couldn't seem to break it off. It was always women that ended it with him; he wasn't experienced at letting anyone go.

Mae told him more bits and pieces about her childhood and her long-standing desire to impress her father, and he couldn't help but be honest with her.

“You're a better person than he is, he doesn't even deserve a daughter like you.”

“Thanks, I think I need to let go of my need to please him once and for all.”

“You need to please yourself, honey, that's all. Life is too short to waste it trying to please other people.”

“Then why does it matter what people think of us being together?”

“That's different.”

“How?”

“It just is.”

Merle wished he was years younger; he'd jump at the chance to be with her properly if he was.

/

Merle got home later than usual from work on Friday that week and ran into a man in the front foyer that he didn't recognize. The man looked about 30 and was holding a bouquet of flowers; he looked lost.

“Looking for someone?” he asked.

“Mae Jameson.”

Merle's heart sank, and he wanted to tell him that there was no such woman in the building.

“Is she expecting you?” Merle asked.

“No, it's a surprise visit. We know each other from work, we're friends.”

“She's in 405.”

“Thanks, man,” the stranger nodded and began walking up the steps with Merle behind him.

Merle fantasized about grabbing him and tossing him out of the building.

Who did this fool think he was coming here to take her away?

The man was slender, devilishly handsome, and young; Merle didn't like it one bit. In an instant, he was frantic inside. The man continued up the stairs to the floor above Merle's place where Mae lived, and he stuck around on the stairwell just out of sight to listen. He heard the knock, the door opening, and the surprise in her voice at a man turning up at her place.

“Oh! Gareth...hello.”

“I hope you don't mind me just turning up, Jacqui gave me your address.”

“No. I'm just a little surprised to see you. I'm in the middle of a painting at the moment.”

“I won't keep you then; I just thought it was about time I saw you outside of the office and asked you out properly.”

“I had no idea you even wanted to,” she answered.

“Here, these are for you. I hope you aren't allergic to flowers.”

"No...thanks."

Merle was just standing there, breathing heavy with his heart racing. How could he argue that this young guy seemed great for her? Showing up at her door with flowers was just the kind of thing women really liked, and Merle kicked himself for only bringing her wine and Chinese food. He was so angry, and yet this was just what he thought he wanted for her. Merle thought stepping out of the way so she could have a younger man was the right thing to do, but now it enraged him.

“Thanks, they're pretty.”

“So, did you want to go out tomorrow night?”

“Gareth, the thing is...”

“Just to see how we get along, no strings attached,” he pressed.

“Uh...”

“You're not already in a relationship, are you?”

“Actually I am, sorry.”

“I thought you were single,” the man sighed. “You never mentioned anyone special at work.”

“I don't like to discuss personal things at work,” she answered.

“Well, you can't blame me for trying.”

“Not at all. I appreciate the compliment.”

“Call me if anything changes, Mae. I'd love to take you out if you're ever available.”

“Sure thing. Have a good night, OK?”

“Yeah, goodnight.”

Merle ducked back into his apartment when he heard the man called Gareth coming back down the stairs. Merle couldn't wrap his head around her turning down a handsome young man just to waste her time with him. He lay on his couch staring at a cardigan she had forgotten at his place with a frown. Mae had a real shot at a future with a man who was all the things she deserved, and he hated to see her throw it all away even if he wanted her so badly it killed him.

/

The next day Merle went out all morning to get his head right and avoid the quiet of his apartment. He needed to talk to Daryl, so he met up with him for a little target shooting and a chat. The details of his current mess were spilled over the course of the morning, and Daryl shook his head with a slow grin.

“You'll get your head around the idea that dating younger women is a bad idea someday, Merle.”

“I think you're right,” he sighed. “This one is gonna hurt...it wasn't just sex this time. I think I screwed up.”

“Listen, I don't blame you for dating younger women if you can pull it off, but it sounds like it's just getting you hurt now.”

“I'm so confused, Daryl. She turned this young guy down for me, and it doesn't feel right.”

“Do you love her?”

“Yeah, I think I do.”

Merle leaned against a brick wall and watched his brother take aim; he wanted to know what Daryl honestly thought. Daryl was happily married to Carol, going on six years, so he figured he must know something he didn't.

“If you love her, you should bow out.”

“You think?”

“She's gonna be hurt at first, but in the end, she'll probably thank you for it. I've seen you the morning after one of these girls walks out and I can see that it bugs you...she'll do it too.”

“I don't know, man. It feels like she really cares about me and we have so much fun together.”

“Merle, I don't want to see you hurt...she's just too young for you. Let her go. It's the right thing to do, and you know it.”

/

Back at his apartment, he found her at the mailboxes on the landing going through her bills.

“Merle,” she smiled. "I was wondering where you ran off to this morning."

“Hey you,” he returned in a friendly tone, they had to be friends now.

“Got plans this weekend?” she inquired.

“Nope...you?”

“Get a load of this! Some guy who sells drug samples to the doctor I work for just randomly showed up to ask me out, but I'm not interested. It kinda freaks me out that he knows where I live to be honest,” she shrugged.

“Is he a creep or something?” Merle asked.

He didn't want to tell her that he'd sent the guy straight to her door now.

“I don't think so...I just don't know why he wouldn't call instead. I'm a private person, and it just made me feel weird.”

“So you're not gonna go?”

“I'm already kinda seeing you,” she grinned. “Did you forget?”

“What if he's a really nice guy, though?”

Just that one sentence threw her for a loop, he could see it. Her eyes said it all; she felt betrayed.

“Do you want me to go?”

“I want you to be happy. A young, good-looking guy like that who brings you flowers can't be all bad, right?”

“But what about us?”

“I care about you, Mae...I like you so much more than I expected to but, I already told you, I can't give you the things a younger man can.”

“But I thought...” she trailed off, and he could see that she was hurt.

“I do like you, honey...but it was supposed to be just a casual thing, right?”

“Did I dream all of this? Was I the only one feeling anything real?”

“No, honey. It meant a lot to me, but I can't give you a family or the kind of future you deserve.”

“I don't even know if I want children.”

“You're so young though; you might change your mind.”

It felt like shit, but she had a much brighter future with this new guy than with him. He had to be strong and do what Daryl said. She would thank him someday.

“I better go,” she said in a voice that indicated she wouldn't be dropping by anymore.

“I'm sorry, honey...it wasn't just fun, I swear. I still want to be friends.”

“If my own dad could just walk away, then I don't know why the hell I thought you wouldn't do the same...I give up.”

“But I do care-”

“Goodbye, Merle.”

She turned and walked up the stairs without a word, and Merle knew she was hurt and likely angry too. He hadn't meant to do anything against her; he'd never encountered problems like this before. None of the women he slept with before ever wanted him for more than occasional sex.

/

Late afternoon bled into the evening, and Mae wanted to go to bed early. She looked down at the notepad where she'd written down the reservation for dinner with Merle and sighed. She was planning to surprise him, to take him out for a thank you dinner the following weekend...she'd have to call and cancel now. She wanted to go out on a proper date to say thank you for the website and to show him that they were both adults. In her eyes, there was no reason they shouldn't be happy together, but apparently, that's not how he saw it.

Maybe it was crazy or childish to think they could have a real relationship but being with him had felt so natural and right to her. She could hear him downstairs; she always could. The mundane sounds of his kitchen tap, the opening and closing of his cupboards, his singing.

_Was he washing his hands?_

_Was he grabbing his favorite coffee mug?_

_Was he thinking of her too?_

The constant reminder of his presence was unavoidable with the walls of their homes connected. It was torture, and she considered moving when she realized that the longing would break her in time. She had nothing to lose by going for a simple drink with Gareth by the looks of things. Maybe she wasn't attracted to him, and maybe there was no spark, but she was truly alone now that Merle was gone from her life. Loneliness had been eating her alive when she started the fling with Merle, and she couldn't bear to be alone again. It was a lousy reason to go for a drink with a man she had no feelings for, but she felt lost and had nobody to talk to. Her mother would only say 'I told you so' and so would Jacqui.

/

Merle saw Gareth's car pulling up outside by fluke two nights later, and he knew that he'd made the biggest mistake of his life. This guy in the gray dress shirt and the brown sports coat was about to take his girl away, and he had just handed her over to him. Merle suddenly felt ill, dizzy and completely and utterly stupid.

 


	8. Chapter 8

_**Daddy Issues** _

_**~ Chapter Eight** _

Gareth arrived at 7 pm sharp, and Mae refused to go overboard in terms of dressing up, she was in no mood. What she really wanted to do was mope around, just listening to the sound of Merle carrying on without her, but she knew it wasn't good for her mental health and she was lonely already without him. She had been desperately lonely when the fling started between her and Merle, and she was still craving human contact badly.

“Hey! You ready to go?” Gareth asked brightly when she opened the door and invited him inside.

“Sure.”

“You OK?”

“I'll be honest with you, Gareth, this break up is throwing me for a loop, so I'm going to need a little patience. I really just need to get out of the house, it's not a date...I'm not ready for that.”

“It's just a drink, no problem at all,” he smiled. “Who was the lucky guy?” he asked.

“Just a guy,” she shrugged.

Gareth was nosy, and it rubbed her the wrong way. They wound up at a local bar for drinks, and he asked her about her hobbies like it was a job interview.

“I like to draw, watch movies...listen to music. Just the usual stuff. You?”

“Same, I'm a marathon runner too.”

“Interesting.”

It wasn't interesting, Merle was interesting.

“You didn't have to come, Mae. I can see you aren't interested in me.”

“I'm sorry, I don't mean to be short with you. It's just the timing I think.”

“Can I interest you in a game of darts?” he asked randomly, motioning to the dart board in the corner of the bar.

“I don't even know how to play,” she shrugged.

“I'll teach you,” Gareth insisted. “It's fun!”

She was pulled into his enthusiasm and eventually relaxed enough to play a few games of darts, split a plate of nachos, and partake in friendly chit-chat. Gareth did appear to be nice, and he was conventionally attractive, but he didn't make her feel the way Merle did.

When he dropped her off, she made sure not to say goodbye on the street in front of Merle's window. Gareth stuck to merely kissing her cheek at the door and asked her if he could call her later that week.

“OK.”

“If you need some time, that's cool with me...do you like me at all?” he asked.

Something about the way he phrased it and the way his eyes were seeking some sign of affection got to her.

“I do like you, Gareth. You seem really nice, and I know I've been pretty distant tonight-”

“I understand, I can be patient. Thanks for giving me a shot anyway,” he nodded, and she couldn't help but feel something for him.

It was nothing compared to what she felt for Merle, perhaps even just pity, but it was something.

/

Merle watched as the younger man left her place and couldn't help smiling. He wasn't staying the night. This guy wasn't laying her out on the bed and kissing her sweet lips. Maybe he could go up and see her and tell her it was all a mistake and that he wanted her all to himself.

Merle walked to the bathroom to get cleaned up and was about to do just that, but then he noticed his reflection in the mirror. He looked at his own face, and all of the grey in his facial hair appeared to be amplified. The man who'd just left her place wouldn't be seeing his first gray hairs for years. Merle decided not to go up to see her.

/

Two painful weeks passed before Gareth began to change and Mae hadn't really seen it coming. They weren't dating, but it was clearly what he wanted. Mae kept putting it off and telling him she wasn't ready and that was the truth. She wasn't leading him on in her opinion, but the guy who was once sweet and understanding was becoming gradually more insistent. He was abnormally interested in who her ex had been, and she always dodged the question since Merle lived in her building. Why mix things up? When they bumped into Merle in the hallway one day, though, it came up, and she was faced with Gareth's opinion of it all.

“Hi,” Merle said casually.

“Hi,” she answered, her heart still aching inside.

“Hey, man! I'm Gareth, how's it going?”

“Not bad...you?”

“Really good.”

Gareth lay his hand on her waist then and grinned back at Merle.

“You doing OK, Mae?” Merle asked.

“I'm good,” she lied, never taking her eyes from his.

There was a long pause where they just looked at each other, and she wanted to scream at him for saying that they shouldn't be together. She wanted to pull him closer and beg him to touch her as he had before. The awkward moment finally ended when Gareth laughed nervously and pulled her up the stairs by her hand. They got back to her suite, and she could just feel him taking issue with the eye contact between her and Merle.

“What the hell was all that about?” he chuckled, but he sounded a little ticked off too. “That old creep was eye-balling you like a pervert!”

“He's not a pervert,” she shot back. “Merle is a good person; he's my friend!”

“Jesus! Why so defensive? It's not like you're sleeping with the guy.”

“Not anymore.”

“That's your ex?” he exclaimed.

“Judgmental much?” she argued, and she stormed off down the hall to her bedroom to change.

Nothing made sense, the stress of missing Merle was unbearable, and her mother was pressuring her constantly to come back home. She kept telling her that nothing was working out in the city and that she'd just get hurt and Mae really couldn't argue with the hurt side of the argument.

Mae felt uneasy around Gareth but wasn't great with confrontation. She wanted to tell him to back off, but he seemed prone to aggression, she didn't know how to say it without pissing him off.

She tried to drop the subject of Merle and urge him out the door but Gareth was very forward, and she couldn't believe the way he pressured her. He actually suggested that they spend the night together after seeing Merle in the hallway, even though they weren't officially seeing each other.

"Come on, Mae...I can make you forget all about your ex if you just give me a chance," he insisted as he leaned in to touch her face.

Mae didn't want Gareth's hand on her face; she only wanted Merle back.

"Gareth, I'm not ready for that."

None of the boys she dated back home were this forward; she didn't know what to say to stop it from escalating. Merle had been forward too, but he always left the metaphorical door wide open for her to walk out, he didn't corner her and always asked if she was sure.

"Don't you need sex, Mae?" he said as his tongue met with her earlobe. "A good fuck is the best way to get over someone."

"I need to go to the bathroom," she said abruptly and almost ran to the bathroom to think in peace.

She wanted to call Merle and ask him to help her, to get this creep out of her apartment, but she couldn't make herself do it. Merle had handed her away; she couldn't call him for help now. Mae sat on the toilet seat wondering why men were like this. Her father didn't even call her anymore, all he cared about now was his new girlfriend and her kids. She was desperate for an answer when she looked down to a women's magazine on her bathroom floor from the doctor's office where she worked.

"Why a 3-month rule on sex could be great for your dating life!"

She picked it up and scanned the article quickly and smiled to herself. This was the answer.

"So? You ready to take this to the next step?" Gareth grinned.

"I have a personal rule on this kind of thing, Gareth."

"A rule on sex?"

"I don't have sex for three months in a new relationship."

"Are you kidding?" he huffed.

"I've been hurt in the past...I need to do this for me."

"I never heard of anything so crazy in all my life."

"Maybe I'm not the one for you, Gareth...I think you're looking for something very different than I am."

She wished he'd just go. Gareth wasn't the man she thought he was in the beginning; it was apparently a charade to gain her trust.

"Fine," he sighed. "I'm just gonna go...I really don't get you, Mae."

"Sorry..."

She didn't know why she was apologizing to the likes of him. Mae wondered if having her father around as a devoted male role model would have made her less accommodating of jerks. Thankfully, Gareth left and she didn't really expect to see him again after he didn't get what he evidently wanted, there was no reason for him to try again in her opinion.

She was alone again, and she couldn't help thinking that moving back home was indeed the right thing to do. Her mother was right, after all, she was only getting hurt in the big city.

/

The next night, Merle lay in his bed, listening to Mae pacing the floor above him. The sound of her so close was making him crazy. Listening to her all evening after work every night was driving him crazy, especially the evenings when Gareth would be over. Merle kept waiting for the sounds of them having sex, but still hadn't heard it. When he did hear a sound that indicated she was sleeping with that man, he knew it would tear him into pieces. For now, she was just singing alone, and he couldn't help but touch himself with his eyes closed, imagining that she was with him.

Merle was in the middle of stroking his dick to the fantasy of having her back when he heard the sound of footsteps on the stairs and then a knock at her door. He listened for a while to the conversation wishing that he could hear words through the walls. He wondered why Gareth was turning up so late; it had to be him because nobody else came to her place. After a few minutes, he heard raised voices...one of them was hers, and he decided that enough was enough.

 


	9. Chapter 9

_**Daddy Issues** _

_**~ Chapter 9** _

“Hey.”

Gareth was smiling, and before she knew it, he was walking straight into her apartment like she had invited him.

“I wasn't expecting you after what happened,” Mae began.

"I'm not giving up on you so easily," he grinned. "Aren't you happy to see me?"

"Sure...come in."

Mae could see that he'd been drinking and instantly she wanted him to leave. The tone was all wrong, and she already regretted opening the door in the first place.

“I've been thinking about your three-month rule.”

“What about it?”

“You've only just been in the city for three months now...”

“So?”

“So that means you let that filthy old man downstairs get his hands on you before three months,” he grinned like it was a 'gotcha' moment.

“I just decided on the three-month rule after him,” she blurted out as if she needed to defend herself to a man she'd only just started spending time with.

“That sounds like a lie to me, Mae. Just say you don't want to fuck me and be honest. Why do women insist on lying all the damn time?”

“I think you need to go; we can talk tomorrow.”

“I can't get my mind around you wanting him but not me. What the hell is that all about? You got daddy issues or something?"

Gareth took a step toward her, and she didn't know what to do. He was either going to smack her or pin her to the wall in a state of anger.

“I just think of him touching you, and it makes me sick," he growled.

“I need you to go,” she insisted. “You've been drinking.”

“Let me make it better, Mae. You need a man your own age, not that sicko down there.”

"Please don't do this...please just go."

He pushed her back then, and the back of her head hit the wall.

“Stop it. Gareth, stop!”

His lips pressed so hard to hers then that she could feel his facial hair prickling her chin and lips. His fingers dug into her upper arms, and she found that she couldn't move. Fear set in and she didn't know how the whole thing was going to end.

/

Merle got up and pulled on his sweatpants when he could hear it escalating. He wasn't sure what was happening. Was it a completely normal lover's quarrel, or was he being rough with her? There was a good chance he'd turn up at the door looking like an overprotective father with no shirt on but he didn't like the idea of her being in a room with anyone raising their voice like Gareth was.

When he got to her floor, he could just sense that it was more than them simply bickering when he heard her make a little whining sound, but not the nice kind. Merle touched the door nob and turned it, thankful to find that it was unlocked. Upon seeing Mae pressed to the wall and tears on her cheeks, Merle was instantly livid, and he only saw red.

“Hey! Get out of here! We're just talking!” Gareth argued.

"Get moving before I bust your fuckin' kneecaps, kid.”

“Go fuck yourself!” Gareth shot back. “What the hell is it to you, Grandpa?”

Merle grabbed him by the scruff of his coat and walked him to the door as he struggled helplessly. Merle knew that he was forcing his way in and making decisions for Mae and that maybe she'd be angry at him for that, but he refused to let this man be rough with her.

“You don't come anywhere near her again, or I'll clean your fucking clock, you got that?”

Merle proceeded to toss him out into the hallway and slammed the door in his face. He locked the deadbolt, and when he turned back to look at Mae, she was crying, and he felt awful.

“I fucked up,” he began. "I never should have let you go."

“You really hurt me," she said.

Something about saying it out loud felt good. She had always wanted to tell her father that he hurt her but strangely never wanted to make him feel bad, it was almost sick the way she cared more about his feelings than he did about hers. She trusted Merle to listen to her and take her seriously so she spoke her truth to him because she knew she could. She wasn't trying to attack him, she loved him, but he needed to know how she'd been hurt before they could kiss and make up.

"I'm so sorry, Mae."

"I know you said that you didn't want something serious...but you started something between us, and it was becoming serious. You have to admit that," she said firmly.

"Of course it was. I made a huge mistake in ending it. I thought I was doing the right thing...I listened to my stupid brother," he sighed.

"You ended it without even discussing it with me properly...you acted like I had gotten it all wrong and was making it into something it wasn't."

"I know. I'm so sorry...will you forgive me?"

"I already have, because I know that you didn't really want to hurt me, I can see that in your eyes...but I need to finally speak when I'm hurt now or else the pain just sits inside me."

"Say everything you need to, honey. I can take it, and I deserve it."

"You can take it cause you're a real man, not like my father. He could never admit he was wrong, but someday I'm going to tell him what he's done to me anyway."

"You should," Merle smiled.

"Well...what do we do now?" she asked softly.

"Anything you want, honey."

"Anything?" she grinned.

"I need you, Mae. You're the one I love, and I don't care what the world thinks. If you want kids, we'll have 'em. If you don't want kids, we won't. We can get married, and I'll buy you a house, whatever you want is what I want. I just need to be with you."

"You love me?" she grinned.

"More than anything...I'm just sorry I had to fuck it all up to realize that."

"Come here," she whispered, reaching out her arms to him.

Merle smiled and knew that this was it. He bent down to kiss her, and everything was OK. This girl was years younger than him and what they had in common was negligible, but she was the only woman he wanted. He took her face in his hands and kissed her hard, filling her mouth with his hot tongue and needing her more with every breath. She was scooped up into his arms and taken to the bedroom where he lay her out and covered her body with his own. He wanted to consume her completely, to take every part of her into his own possession. Merle had to be the one to protect her; there was no avoiding the truth that he loved her with all his heart. 

/

He was fevered and moving so fast. Mae knew he would be the only man to ever do this with her again; his touch was unmatched. He squirmed his way between her knees, and she could hear the wingbeats of angels in her mind. Her leg was yanked up around his back, and he thrust himself against her, all the while taking her mouth with his own. Mae melted into the bed and ran her hands down to push at the waistband of his sweatpants; she needed his entire body exposed to her hungry eyes and mouth.

Merle raised her arms and left her clinging to the bed rails with clenched fists as he moved his kiss down her body. Soon, her shirt was opened, and he was taking her nipples ravenously with his lips and tongue. She could feel him moaning through her flesh as he tasted her, it was both evil and beautiful.

Merle needed her stripped, so he took off her clothing one piece at a time until he had her bare to his eyes.

“You swear you won't regret a life with me?” he asked.

“Never...I was dying for you up here all this time,” she panted.

Merle took her over, body and soul. He tasted her throat and held her still to tease his fingertips all over her throbbing core; it had been agony to imagine her with Gareth.

“I didn't sleep with him,” she said suddenly.

“I know...but it ain't my business if you did.”

“I didn't,” she repeated, her eyes closed and her hand jerking his dick with perfect rhythm.

“I know that, honey, but I ain't gonna control you like he tried to. Your body is your own unless you say otherwise,” he growled.

She touched his face then and knew that she loved him more than anyone.

“My body is yours, daddy...all yours," she purred.

Merle slid his hand under her ass and kept his eyes on hers as his manhood met with the warm, wet perfection of her pussy. He pushed slowly into her and galaxies collided in white heat and fireworks. He thrust fully into her, and she gasped at the incredible pressure, spreading her apart from the inside.

“Jeeeeesus!”

She whined for him, cried out his name, and groaned like an animal. She made him feel worthy, masculine and better than he actually was. Being with Mae felt better than anything he could imagine.

“Oh, baby...that's right, Daddy...it's all yours...gimme all you got...”

“You're killing me; little girl....you're fuckin' killin' me!”

She was everything in that moment, the way her skin was glistening, the way he couldn't seem to control his heart...the sensation of being one with her. It ended with her on top of him, and he knew he'd recall looking up at her perfect face forever. She rode him hard with her eyes closed, her hands on his chest and his name on her lips and nothing could ever beat it...so he came, and he let it go on as long as it could. 

Fingertips digging into her thighs, every star lighting up a little brighter in the night sky, and the two of them together again...it was perfect, she was perfect.

"I love you, Mae...God help me, I love you."

  
  


 


	10. Chapter 10

_ **Daddy Issues** _

_ **~ Chapter 10** _

Merle was up before Mae that morning, and he walked to the bathroom to take a leak. Waking up in her home felt so right, and he never wanted to be without her again. When he looked in the bathroom mirror, he still saw the older man's face, but it didn't scare him now.

People in society were always being judged for something, and if he was going to be judged for love, he could deal with that.

Mae obviously knew what she wanted, and he trusted that she knew her own heart. She wasn't a child, and he respected her as an equal.

Merle needed a towel to dry his face after washing up, so he walked further down the hall to her linen closet. He found a sketch pad on the floor of the closet and picked it up to flip through the pages; he loved her art. Evidently, Mae had sketched him as he slept the night that they got high together and he couldn't get his mind around her talent or her feelings for him. He never saw himself as worthy of this kind of tribute; it was an honor. Merle carried it back to her bedroom and couldn't help nudging her awake.

"Goodmorning," she yawned as she rubbed her eyes.

"This is so good, baby," he said, holding it out to her.

"I couldn't look at that after you ended things with me."

"I'm sorry, honey."

"You're sure about us now, right?"

"I'm positive. I just thought I was doing the right thing for you, but I was wrong. I listened to my brother, and I shouldn't have. I'll always listen to you from here on in, I promise."

"Your brother is against us being together? He never even met me."

"I know. I think he was basing that on my past and the running around I was doing. He doesn't have much faith that I'm making good decisions and based on who I was before you; I don't really blame him."

"What do you want to do now?" she asked as he leaned the notebook against the wall and curled up next to her again.

"I want to go all in...I want it all."

Mae liked the sound of 'going all in' but didn't know exactly what he meant by that.

"Care to elaborate?"

"Would you consider moving in with me someday soon?"

It was erratic, but Merle didn't care, he wanted to be with her as much as possible. Almost losing her had shown him that there was nobody else for him, Mae was everything.

"Into your apartment? I might have too much stuff for us to both fit in there," she giggled.

"I mean a house."

"Are you serious?"

"I have the money, I just never cared about a house if I was gonna be alone...would you come with me?"

"I'd go with you anywhere," she smiled so widely it almost hurt her cheeks. "Can Mr. Leggy come too?"

"I suppose so," he winked, looking over at the creepy little bastard next to the bed. "But does he have to watch us fucking in the new place?"

"No, he can live in another room," she giggled.

Mae couldn't believe the turn around in their relationship, and she was a little concerned at how fast it was moving, but she needed him so badly she pushed her fears aside. Trusting men after having the father she had would always be a little challenging, but if anyone could convince her to trust again, it was Merle.

/

In the following weeks, Merle and Mae spent every single moment together, and life was sweeter than ever. He was either at her place or the other way around, and it was nothing but fun, sex, long talks, and happiness.

Merle got home from work on a Tuesday after a long day on the road and stopped at the mailboxes to grab both of their mail on his way up. He liked the domesticity of their relationship already.

He went right to her apartment to grab a nice cold beer and take a shower with her as he often did and handed her the mail on the way in.

"Mail call!" he grinned.

"Thanks, babe."

Merle grabbed a beer from her fridge, still the cheap domestic piss-water she had the first night and took a nice long chug.

"Oh my God!" she gasped.

"What's wrong?"

"My father...he's marrying that woman!"

"Already?"

"He didn't even think to call, he just sent me an invitation!" she huffed. "They're getting married in only three months!"

"Classy prick," Merle snorted.

Mae held up a few pictures of her father and his fiance's children from inside the envelope, all cozy and sweet together at a lake.

"At least he's a decent father to someone," she snarled. "I'm not going."

"Nah, you should go."

"Why?"

"Cause me, and you should be there to show him he didn't break you. You got a new daddy now," he winked playfully.

"That's true," she grinned. "Get in the shower, mister."

/

Mae pushed him to the tiles and ran her hands up and down his chest desperately. She needed him in her life now in so many ways. The hot water pouring down on their bodies was soon enveloping them in steam, it was heaven.

"How do you make me feel so safe?" she whispered.

"I don't know, honey...but I'll always protect you, you know that, right?"

"I know that.

"I just don't want what happened to make you think-"

"Hey," she interrupted. "I trust you, Merle."

Merle kissed her deep and slow, taking time to taste her mouth as his hands moved down her body to her waist. He was hard the second he even thought of her, but his mind wanted more than his dick. Merle's mind wanted to explore the full landscape of her body, every hill, and every valley.

He trailed his hand down the small of her back to her full ass and pulled her into him, nice and tight against his throbbing hard dick.

"See what you do to me, little girl? It ain't nice to leave me like this...you gonna do something about this?" he teased.

Her warm wet hand reached down to cup his balls, and then, with a sly grin, she dropped down to a squatting position to suck him off.

"Holy hell, girl!" he hissed as he reached out to stabilize himself.

The things Mae could do with her mouth were remarkable. She maintained pressure from the head to the base and moved her tongue in a wave down the shaft, reducing him to begging and pleading every time.

"Oh, honey...you're breakin' me here."

"Hold on, daddy...I'll be real good to you," she winked, looking up with those innocent eyes.

"I need you on dry land, Mae...I'm gonna cum all over that pretty face if you don't ease up."

She giggled and jumped out of the shower without even grabbing a towel, and he followed her to the bedroom, eager to appease the beast she had awakened in him.

"Sit down on the edge for me, little one," he instructed, and she sat, still dripping, at the foot of her bed.

Her dreads were piled up on her head, damp and glistening and her tattoos appeared to be speckled with diamond-like drops of water.

"What should I do now?" she winked.

She liked this game, and she knew how to play. Mae wanted his naughty instructions. There she sat with her knees together and a sweet smile on her face like she had no idea what he wanted.

"Nice try, now open up," he pressed.

Mae parted her legs before his needy eyes and revealed the very universe to him. The only thing to do was kneel at her alter and begin his devotions.

Merle got in close to her body, nestled between her thighs and licked her breasts as her fingers threaded through his hair. He sucked so right and watching it so close was making her loins flood with liquid magma.

"Jesus! Merle...I need it."

"Need what, angel?"

"I need your tongue down lower..."

She held her hand on his shoulder and urged him down between her legs to the place where a pulse was beating in her core.

Merle was more than happy to partake of her flesh and bring her down to the depths of sexual deviance.

He forced her legs further apart swiftly, knowing by then that she liked it with just a little hint of the rough stuff. Merle held her by the knees and came in close to simply lick her closed lips, and she whined desperately.

He continued to tease her to the brink, drawing his tongue over her skin like a hot steel blade over vulnerable flesh.

"Please...please, daddy."

"There ya go...remember your manners, little girl, and daddy will always be good to you," he smirked.

Merle delved in further between the sweet folds to the very inner realm of her pussy. The inner labia, the incredibly sensitive clit, and her ravenous vagina that craved his cock like a tigress craves a kill.

He took no prisoners and sucked those lips just right, trailed his tongue around her clit and then nudged it gently with the tip of his tongue.

"Oh fuck....oh my goodness...uh...uh...mmmm!"

She wasn't quite there, so he used his hands as well, sliding two fingers inside her and curling them toward her belly and pulled her in tighter with his other hand on her ass.

He loved her pussy, everything about it, and he'd never get enough. The taste was so natural, a sweet and salty delicacy that made him so thirsty for more that he became so easily drunk on her.

Mae fell apart for him with panting and wailing and her hand gripping the back of his head to pull his mouth in even closer.

He barely even let her finish before grabbing her and pulling her down off the edge of the bed and onto his waiting cock.

She whimpered at the speed with which he filled her and rested her head on his shoulder for just a moment, taking it all in...literaly.

Her body was still racked with release as she adjusted to the heavenly intrusion, it was pure bliss she knew she would find nowhere else on earth.

"Damn, Merle...your cock could end world hunger I swear."

"9-inches of rock hard love just for you, little girl...now ride it for me."

She fucked him silly as he sat crosse legged on her bedroom floor, kissing his neck and licking his ears as she did.

"You fill me, daddy...you give me everything I need."

"Always, little one. I'll always take care of ya."

He had to finish it up then; his dick couldn't hold it back anymore, so he told her to bend over the bed for him.

He loved her sweet, full ass and was more than happy to stare at it as he fucked her. Merle railed her as she knelt on the edge of the bed with her knees together, driving him out of his mind with the impossible tightness.

"You're squeezin' the fuck outta my dick, honey."

"Am I hurting you, daddy?"

"A little but it hurts so fuckin' good."

Merle kept it up for a few more minutes until she altered her position and opened her legs before him, raising up her tailbone to change the angle.

"Oooooh fuck yes!" he groaned.

Merle lay one good smack on her ass and then came a little inside her but mostly down the backs of her perfect thighs.

"God damn it, woman...you're gonna shorten my life I swear!"

At the end of sex, she was his woman again. The nicknames were only really for sex. She was his woman, and he was her man. Equals to the end, that's the only way he'd have it.

/

Mae lit up a joint on the chair in the corner of the room afterward, and Merle watched in fascination as Mr. Leggy constructed a web.

"You really think we should go to the wedding?" she asked.

"He doesn't know about me, huh?"

"No...I told my mom, and she's still taken aback by it, but she doesn't speak to my dad anymore, so I'm sure he doesn't know."

"I think you should go...show him that you don't need him, that you're independent."

"And you'll go with me?" she checked.

"I'll go with you anywhere, honey."

"I love you, Merle."

"And I love you right back, honey," he smiled.

  
  


  
  


 


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is a oneshot that sparked my imagination. I could have perhaps made it longer but I told the story that I wanted to tell so I'm satisfied with it. I'm not one to make something longer than it needs to be.   
> Thanks to everyone who read this and left Kudos or reviews:) Very much appreciated.   
> I'm taking the next two weeks or so to finish up a big murder mystery called "The murder of Juno Ferguson" and I hope some people will enjoy that too. It won't be terribly smutty but I'm going to be adding to the Boss Man: Merle Dixon series with some shorter smut pieces anyway:)  
> Thanks! Teagan xoxox

_**Daddy Issues** _

_**~ Chapter Eleven** _

Mae was sat in the middle of a room she called her own, the sun shining in through the window and a warm breeze carrying in the scent of lilac.

Her paintings were hung on walls that Merle had painted dusty blue for her, and she owned an easel now, one of many gifts from Merle. He was downstairs getting dressed, and she had to get herself moving if they were going to make it to her hometown on time. A big part of her didn't even care about the wedding, but Merle said it would do her good and she trusted him.

Merle hadn't wasted any time in looking for a home for them, and the first home they had come across was eerily perfect. The attic was a loft, where she sat right at that moment, with vaulted ceilings and large windows and a Juliette balcony. He insisted that she take the large space for her art studio and she could hardly believe it, the space was almost as big as her entire old apartment. Merle was good to her, and they didn't fight.

She knew that people were looking at them together when they'd hold hands in the park, cuddle in the theatre, or kiss at the lake as they watched some fireworks, but she liked it. Mae wasn't afraid to look different, she went out of her way to do so, and she got a kick out of the way some people were shocked by them. If she was being honest, she sometimes even played it up for a laugh. His love made her feel confident and stable for the first time in her life.

“Merle's wondering what's keeping you,” Daryl asked when he appeared suddenly in her doorway.

“I'm ready, just dawdling."

“You look pretty,” he smiled.

"Thanks, Daryl...can I ask you something?"

"Go for it."

"Do you support me being with your brother now?"

Daryl processed the question for a moment, and she was glad that he didn't just blurt out 'sure' like it was nothing.

"You make him happy. I've never seen him like this before, to be honest. I wasn't so sure at first, but it's obviously not just a fling."

"It's not. I really do love him very much."

"I can see that Mae," he smiled. "He loves you too."

Daryl had come around when he could see that Mae was quite serious about his brother. She had made a point of talking to him directly after the first time they met. She assured him that she wasn't out to hurt Merle and that she had forgiven him after he had actually hurt her. Daryl said he was happy as long as Merle was and they quickly made friends.

“Merle is having a bird!” Carol laughed as she headed up the stairs and into the attic.

“I'm coming!” Mae grinned.

Her dress was a floor-length tie-dyed eyesore that she loved the moment she saw it and she couldn't care less if she 'ruined' her father's wedding photos. Merle looked like a million and a half dollars in a dark grey suit with a blue silk tie, and she couldn't wait to devour him later that night.

Daryl and Carol headed home after spending the morning with Merle and Mae, and they finally hit the road to her small Georgia home town.

/

When they arrived, they booked into a little B&B near to the church and reception hall on main street. They'd be staying the night because Mae was planning to get a little more than wasted after dealing with her father.

“He's going to be stunned to see who your plus one is,” Merle chuckled.

Mae still hadn't told her father who her new boyfriend was and part of her hoped he'd take it hard. She wasn't ashamed of her art, her appearance or the love of her life and never would be.

“He can go ahead and be shocked; I was pretty shocked when he abandoned me as a child, refused to let me follow my dreams of art school, and decided to marry a complete stranger. He'll get over it.”

“That's my girl,” Merle grinned and pulled her into his arms for a sweet kiss.

Mae had decided not to cause a scene at her father's wedding, but she did add a letter to him into the box along with the serving platter she and Merle bought for a wedding gift. The letter included every single affront to her childhood, every instance of neglect, and she pulled no punches. The letter ended with a statement of forgiveness because she had already moved on, but perhaps he could learn and avoid hurting the children he would be linked to through his new marriage.

/

Their arrival at the church was met with stunned glances, and hushed whispers and Mae wrapped her arm around Merle's back to pull him in closer.

“This is awkward,” Merle winced.

“I'm so proud to be with you, babe...gimme a kiss,” she smiled, and Merle felt right at ease.

Her father spotted her the moment her lips left Merle, and he did not look impressed.

“Mae,” he began with a look of puzzlement on his face.

“Dad. Congratulations,” she said dryly, knowing that he was going to offer an opinion she didn't want.

“Who do we have here?” he asked. “Your mother actually called me and said you were living with someone...you haven't called in ages.”

“I've been busy working and selling art online,” she smiled. “This is my boyfriend, Merle Dixon.”

Merle extended his hand and was a little surprised that her father actually shook it. He wasn't there to fight, only to support Mae.

“Can I speak to you privately?” her father said.

“Anything you need to say to me, you can say in front of Merle.”

“OK. Is this a joke?”

“No. It's not a joke. We're very happy together. Perhaps this isn't the best place to discuss it,” she suggested.

“I wanted this to be a nice day,” her father sighed.

“It still can be. What's the problem?”

Her father grabbed a glass of wine from a nearby table and downed it in two long sips.

“You showed up at my wedding looking like a hippy with an old man on your arm. That's what's wrong.”

Mae smiled then, even chuckled a little before looking up to Merle and nodding toward the door.

“We're going to be leaving now, dad. I truly hope that you enjoy your gift...there's a letter in the box that I hope moves you to reconsider your choices. I haven't lost anything here; I can't lose what I never had. You were never a real father to me, but I was always a real daughter to you...and now you have lost that.”

“Mae-”

He almost looked apologetic, but she didn't believe he really could be.

“Yes?” she pressed.

“Why are you doing this?” he asked.

“Come on, babe, let's go,” she said, taking Merle by the hand.

Merle didn't move; though, he couldn't.

The man before him was an asshole, and he wasn't leaving until he knew that.

“You are not a man,” he said sternly.

“And I suppose you are?” Mae's father laughed. "Screwing a girl half your age, gimme a break."

“Merle, don't bother.”

“Yes. I am a real man. Only a piece of human garbage abandons his child and then tries to dominate them. You are that garbage.”

“Get out,” her father growled.

“Happily,” Merle answered.

/

Mae and Merle got back to the B&B, and he expected her to cry in his arms, to need his comfort to feel better, but he was so wrong.

He followed behind her as she stormed back to the B&B and up the stairs to their room.

“Honey, I'm so sorry,” he began when she closed the door behind them.

“It's OK, Merle,” she smiled.

“Huh?”

“I'm OK...and I feel free now, all thanks to you.”

“So you don't feel like you just lost your father forever cause of me?”

“I feel like I lost my father forever because of him...now just make love to me and then I want us to climb into that massive claw foot tub and have a soak. Deal?”

“You're a fuckin' powerhouse, little girl.”

“I am, aren't I?” she giggled and grabbed him by the lapels of his suit jacket to pull him toward the bed.

Merle loved her even more in that moment; she was free and beautiful and completely self-assured.

“Can I still call you little girl?” he teased as he tried to locate the zipper on her dress.

“You better!” she laughed. “Why do you ask?”

“You're over your daddy issues, and I'm worried you won't call me daddy anymore,” he confessed with a little wink.

Mae looked up into his eyes; Merle was the only man she would ever love. As unconventional as it sounded, he had actually taught her to stand on her own two feet and not tolerate less than she deserved. Mae was able to walk through the world with her head held higher, and she couldn't help thinking of what he'd done for her as being a fatherly act.

“I'm going to call you daddy in bed until you ask me not to,” she said softly.

“I don't think that's gonna be happening; little girl...it gets me too fuckin' hot."

"Good, daddy. You stay hot for me; I like you best that way," she purred. "Right from that first night, I knew I'd never want anyone else."

“Well, you're stuck with me now, honey. I'm your dirty old man for life,” he growled.

 


End file.
